Even so, grapefruit's tartness encourages people not to gulp it in a rush but to slow down, letting them feel full with relatively few calories, "and that is exactly an approach that research does support as the kind of eating pattern that helps people reach and maintain a healthy weight," Collins said. The classic way to enjoy grapefruit—splitting it and eating with a spoon—is OK, she said.
Be sure to rinse it before you cut: Otherwise, the knife might push bacteria on the skin through the entire fruit. But if you peel it like an orange and eat it by the section, you get added benefits from the membranes. It can keep for several weeks in the refrigerator, but it will taste better if you let it return to room temperature before serving.
She recommends trying it in a salsa, with chopped bell peppers and cilantro. First, she suggests, try it plain.
Although most Americans already consume too much sodium and sugar, a tiny sprinkle of salt on half a grapefruit or a bit of brown sugar on a slice you stick under the broiler is "a drop in the bucket" compared with other choices you could make, Collins said. American Heart Association News covers heart and brain health. Not all views expressed in this story reflect the official position of the American Heart Association.
Copyright is owned or held by the American Heart Association, Inc. If you have questions or comments about this story, please email editor heart. Use this form if you have come across a typo, inaccuracy or would like to send an edit request for the content on this page. For general inquiries, please use our contact form. For general feedback, use the public comments section below please adhere to guidelines. Your feedback is important to us. However, we do not guarantee individual replies due to the high volume of messages.
Your email address is used only to let the recipient know who sent the email. Neither your address nor the recipient's address will be used for any other purpose. According to an American Heart Association AHA study , eating more flavonoids may lower the risk of ischemic stroke among women. Flavonoids are compounds present in citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruit. The combination of fiber, potassium , lycopene, vitamin C, and choline in grapefruit could all contribute to heart health.
The AHA encourage people to increase their dietary intake of potassium and reduce the amount of salt they add to foods. This can help prevent high blood pressure and a range of complications that can result from it.
The — Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults consume around 4, mg of potassium each day. The DASH diet , which health professionals designed to reduce blood pressure through dietary options, includes grapefruit as a recommended food. Learn more about the DASH diet here. Grapefruit is a rich source of antioxidants , such as vitamin C.
These can help combat the formation of free radicals, which experts believe give rise to cancer. A small grapefruit can provide The recommended adult intake of vitamin C is 75 mg per day for women and 90 mg for men. A small grapefruit also contains 2, micrograms mcg of lycopene, which is another antioxidant. One population study looked at data for nearly 50, men.
Its authors conclude that there is a link between a high consumption of tomato sauce, which contains lycopene, and a lower risk of prostate cancer. How does diet affect the risk of cancer? Learn more here. Grapefruit contains water and fiber. Specifically, a small grapefruit weighing g contains g of water and 2.
Both water and fiber can help prevent constipation and promote regularity for a healthy digestive tract. There is also evidence to suggest that a high intake of dietary fiber can help prevent colorectal cancer. Why is dietary fiber important? Additionally, it has been shown to lower the risk of death from heart disease 29 , Second, the fiber in grapefruit may also boost heart health, given that a high fiber intake is associated with lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels Overall, researchers claim that including fiber and antioxidant-rich fruits like grapefruit as part of a healthy diet helps protect against conditions like heart disease and stroke 11 , 31 , Grapefruit contains nutrients and antioxidants shown to help protect the heart by regulating blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Grapefruit contains a few different antioxidants that provide various health benefits, including a reduced risk of several diseases Antioxidants protect your cells from damage caused by free radicals, which are unstable molecules that may cause harmful reactions in your body Grapefruit contains several types of antioxidants that may help prevent the development of some chronic conditions, including heart disease and cancer.
Consuming grapefruit may reduce your risk of developing kidney stones , which result from a buildup of waste materials in the kidneys. These waste materials are products of metabolism that are normally filtered through the kidneys and removed from the body in urine. However, when they crystallize in the kidneys, they become stones. Larger kidney stones may cause a blockage in the urinary system, which can be incredibly painful. The most common type of kidney stones is calcium oxalate stones.
Citric acid, an organic acid found in grapefruit, may be effective at preventing them by binding with calcium in the kidneys and flushing it out of the body 41 , Also, citric acid has the ability to increase the volume and pH of your urine, producing an environment that is less favorable to the formation of kidney stones Grapefruit contains a lot of water and is, therefore, very hydrating.
While drinking lots of water is the best way to stay hydrated, eating water-rich foods can also help. Even if you live a busy, on-the-go lifestyle, you can still enjoy grapefruit on a regular basis without worrying about it taking up too much of your time. For some people, consuming grapefruit and its juice may lead to medication interactions This is because it contains substances that inhibit cytochrome P, an enzyme your body uses to metabolize certain medications.
If you eat grapefruit while taking these medications, your body may not be able to break them down, which could cause an overdose and other adverse effects The medications most likely to interact with grapefruit include 44 :. If you are taking any of these medications, talk with your doctor before adding grapefruit to your diet. Citric acid, which is found in citrus fruits , is a common cause of enamel erosion, especially if you consume it in excess If you have particularly sensitive teeth, you may need to avoid acidic fruits.
However, there are some things you can do to preserve your tooth enamel while still enjoying grapefruit:. If you take certain medications or have sensitive teeth, you may need to limit your grapefruit intake or avoid it altogether. Grapefruit is one of the healthiest fruits on the planet. In the grapefruit diet, people eat grapefruit with almost every meal. Does it work for weight loss, and is it safe?
We take a closer look. 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. Here, experts weigh in on why you should start buying more of the tangy citrus fruit, due to its health benefits.
That makes it good for overall health. 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. Several studies have shown that people who eat half a fresh grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice before each meal lose more weight than people who do not.
Not all studies have shown the same weight-loss benefit and scientists don't know if the effect seen in the studies was specifically due to grapefruit—or filling up on a low-calorie food in general—but fruits and vegetables should always be part of your strategy to lose or maintain weight.
So it's a great choice if you want to boost your intake of high nutrient, low calorie foods. 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. While the pith of grapefruit can have more of a bitter taste than say, oranges, it's worth eating along with the fruit if you can.
Fiber is a good thing, and can help lower blood sugar , cholesterol , and possibly even colon cancer risk. A grapefruit a day may help lower "bad" LDL cholesterol levels by as much as In the study, researchers looked at 57 patients ages 39 to 72 who had high cholesterol and had undergone bypass surgery for heart trouble.
For one month, some ate a grapefruit daily either red or white while others, the control group, did not. Grapefruit eaters, particularly those eating red, had a drop in bad cholesterol, while the control group did not. This is great news for your heart. LDL cholesterol is a type of fat that can build up in your arteries and raise the risk for heart attack and stroke. But if you are taking a cholesterol-lowering drug, don't add a grapefruit for extra effect—the FDA issued a warning in about interactions with such medications.
That's because of the hefty dose of vitamins A and C in each serving. Some research indicates that not having enough vitamin C and other micronutrients may actually hurt your immune system, especially if you're elderly.
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