benefits of grapefruits

A glass full of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice in the morning is a great remedy tocontrol constipation. The juice stimulates the colon and other parts of the body relating to the digestive system. This is due to the stimulating effect of fiber on the secretion and stimulation of gastric juices that ease the constriction of the digestive tract and induce a bowel movement.

Grapefruit juice is quite rich in potassium and vitamin C, so it is one of the best treatments for dangerously reduced urination that is often caused by liver, kidney or heart problems. Furthermore, itshigh potassium content works as a vasodilator, meaning that blood vessels and arteries relax, reducing blood pressure and lessening the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Also, increased levels of potassium have been associated with higher cognitive function because of increased blood and oxygen flow to the brain!

Grapefruits are natural sources of medicine that help the body fight off various diseases. This fruit is readily available in any season. It is completely natural and much better than consuming artificial pharmaceuticals to relieve some of your most basic health conditions. It enables the human body to regulate your cholesterol, which means that it minimizes the risk of various cardiovascular diseases caused by cholesterol issues. The Journal ofAgricultural and Food Chemistryshows that consumption of grapefruit can reduce LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol), as well as hazardous triglycerides.

Despite all of these health benefits, and the fact that sometimes grapefruits can be superior to other medicines in their efficacy, you must be very careful taking medicine and consuming grapefruit juice at the same time. Certain chemicals in grapefruits, like naringin, and other less common compounds cannegatively interact with various drugsand cause damage to your organ systems. Be sure to consult your doctor in terms of drug interactions with grapefruit juice in your diet before beginning any new treatments!

Grapefruit is an evergreen tree, grown for its fruit, was first discovered in the forests of Caribbean island,Barbados. It is now one of the widely cultivated fruits in the United States, particularly in Florida, California, and the other semitropical Southen states. The fruit, in fact, is a natural hybridization of pomelo andorange. The tree grows up to 15 m in length and bears numerous yelloworange skinned fruits in clusters during each season.

Carotenoids are plantbased compounds that may have diseasepreventing properties, and grapefruitespecially pink and redcontains more than its share of them. Grapefruits carotenoid phytonutrients, an antioxidant called lycopene, may have chemoprotective effects. In a clinical study published in the March 2005 issue of International Journal of Cancer, researchers found that prostate cancer risk declined with increased consumption of lycopene. According to Texas A & M University Extension, 3.5 ounces of pink grapefruitabout half of a small grapefruitprovides 3.36 mg of lycopene. Vitamin Herb University notes that estimating daily intake of lycopene is difficult due to variability in foods, but suggests most people consume from 3.7 to 6.5 mg per day.

Another group of beneficial phytonutrients, limonoids, is found in grapefruit. Limonoids help control the activity of genes in cancer cells, activating genes that promote cancer cell death, according to a study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry in 2011. As a result, consuming limonoidrich grapefruit might help shield you from cancer.

The soluble pectin fiber contained in grapefruit may slow down the development of atherosclerosis. The Worlds Healthiest Foods says that eating grapefruit can lower blood levels of LDL cholesterolconsidered the bad, or harmful, cholesterol as well as your levels of triglycerides, a form of fat linked to heart disease. Some scientific evidence supports grapefruits cholesterolreducing properties. In a clinical study published in the 2006 issue of Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, researchers found that, although red grapefruit had higher antioxidant potential than white, both white and red grapefruit decreased serum lipid levels in coronary atherosclerosis patients. Although grapefruit is a good source of fiber, the fruit is low in calories, with a half of a grapefruit containing a modest 36 calories.

Grapefruit is a source of vitamin A, delivering 318.57 IUor 6.4 percent of the DVper half. Vitamin A is necessary for healthy vision and for the maintenance of teeth and skeletal and soft tissue. The National Library of the U.S. Department of Agriculture lists a half of a grapefruit as providing 348 mgor 3.5 of the DVof vitamin B5, or pantothenic acid, needed by the body to metabolize proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The Worlds Healthiest Foods states that grapefruit is also a good source of folate, or vitamin B9crucial for brain function and for production of genetic material such as DNA and RNA as well as potassium, essential to heart function and smooth muscle contraction.

A 1 cup serving of grapefruit juice contains 96 calories. While the juice has more calories than water, the amount is relatively low, for 16 to 32 percent of the typical range of 300 to 600 calories per meal. This beverage contains only trace amounts of fat, with 0.2 g.