The Things You Should know about Grapefruits!

Grapefruit can seem like an acquired taste to many due to their bulbous size; bitter pith (the white stuff that surrounds the fruit); and tart taste can be off-putting to those who are more accustomed to their sweeter citrus cousins, like the orange. But consider adding this superfood to your regular rotation of healthy foods. If you can't handle the bitterness, take a pack of sugar with you.

But be a smart snacker: Grapefruit can inhibit an enzyme in the intestines called CYP3A4, (although some other fruits may do the same, grapefruit is the most documented) which plays a key role in breaking down certain medications in the body. The fruit, particularly the juice, has been shown to result in extra-high, even potentially dangerous levels of certain drugs in the body when consumed at the same time.

And you don't have to limit your intake to the early morning hours: Grapefruit are supremely portable and make a great snack (with very few calories) that fills you up while also relieving thirst due to its high water content.

Read on to find to get more grapefruit nutrition facts, including the benefits and risks of this tangy superfruit.



1. Grapefruit has high water content than most fruits.
Grapefruits also helps you stay hydrated. Grapefruit is 92% water, giving it one of the highest water contents of any fruit. That makes it good for overall health. About 20% of your daily fluid intake actually comes from food. So add some grapefruit to get closer to your daily H2O goal and choose the heavier of two fruits of equal size: It has more juice.

2. Helps in weight loss.
Several studies have shown that people who eat half a fresh grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice before each meal have higher weight loss than people who do not. Fruits and vegetables should always be part of your strategy to lose or maintain weight.

3. It's Pith is good for you.
When you peel away the outer layer of a grapefruit, you may be tempted to pick off the white flesh that is between you and the juicy fruit, and throw it away. This stuff is called pith. Don't do it because it is rich in antioxidants and nutrients and also soluble fibre which is going to help you feel fuller and impact your glucose reactions.



4. Aid in lowering blood pressure.
Grapefruits helps to decrease systolic blood pressure. The effect on blood pressure may be due to grapefruit's high potassium levels. Potassium neutralises the negative effects of sodium.

5. Colour of the fruit matters.
All the grapefruit colours are packed with goodness, vitamins, and nutrients but the red and pink ones come with a little extra. The ones with higher colour concentration packs a higher antioxidant level, specifically beta carotene and lycopene. Lycopene is one of a group of carotenoids or pigments that gives hued grapefruit (and other fruits and vegetables) their colour. Eating diets rich in carotenoids may lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers as antioxidants play a key role in fighting cancer.

Citrus fruits' compounds can aid in reducing inflammation and stop cancer cells from multiplying. They may also help repair damaged DNA, which contributes to the development of tumours.

6. Better consume the fruit than the juice
Grapefruit juice has plenty of benefits, but the traditional fruit itself is going to give you more bang for your buck when it comes to nutrition and health benefits. When you take juice, you're getting some of the nutrients but you're losing all the fibre. Grapefruit juice is great but at the end of the day, the entire fruit has pectin and rind and all the parts of it.

Grapefruit juice can also spike your blood sugar more than the fruit itself.



7. Heals Wound fast.
Vitamin C helps form healthy scar tissue and new blood vessels, both of which help return your body to a healthy state. A grapefruit contains about 72 mg of vitamin C, which is 120% of the daily value thus helping in healing wounds faster.