5 reasons to add grapefruit to your day
Looking to boost your nutrition and fuel your body? Eat grapefruit.
Michelle Remkus, a registered dietitian at the Advocate Good Samaritan Health and Wellness Center in Downers Grove, Ill., agrees a grapefruit is a nutritious fruit with so many health benefits.
“I think the greatest benefit of grapefruits is that they are a powerhouse of antioxidants and vitamin C. The antioxidants in grapefruits prevent inflammation by stopping free radical damage,” says Remkus.
She adds that this helps with conditions such as asthma, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The high amount of vitamin C in a grapefruit supports a healthy immune system, keeping colds and flus at bay.
Vitamin C is also beneficial in promoting cardiovascular health. Remkus says, “When free radicals are oxidized, cholesterol and plaque can build up leading to heart attacks or stroke. By eating a grapefruit you are helping to keep your arteries clear and healthy.”
Here are five reasons she says why we should all consider adding this tangy-sweet fruit to your day:
- Lowers bad cholesterol. Grapefruit is packed with antioxidants, which lower cholesterol. However, if you are on prescription drugs, consult with your doctor before consuming grapefruits as they can increase the effects of some medications in the body.
- Boosts your metabolism. Grapefruit helps stabilize blood sugar and insulin levels and aids in burning fat. This is a great addition to your diet if you are looking to shed some pounds.
- Heals and firms your skin. The high volume of vitamin C in the fruit helps reduce excess skin pigment production. Rub it on your elbows and knees to heal and reduce dark spots. Vitamin C is also essential to collagen production, which is responsible for firm and healthy skin.
- Contains lycopene. This is a nutrient that has anti-tumor characteristics and helps fight free radicals, which damage cells. Lycopene is only found in pink and red grapefruit, not white.
- Grapefruit can be used as a natural alternative house cleaner. The acidic nature of the grapefruit means that it can spruce up bathroom fixtures (not to mention the delicious scent it leaves behind). Just dip the fruit rind in some salt and use it as an exfoliator. The acid dissolves dirt and grime buildup, and the salt scours and disinfects.
Remkus suggests incorporating grapefruit into your diet a few times a week to take advantage of these awesome health benefits. Turns out it’s a grapefruit a day that keeps the doctor away, so keep them close at hand for a healthy heart and body.
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About the Author
health enews staff is a group of experienced writers from our Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care sites, which also includes freelance or intern writers.
I think you are padding your list a bit there. I should be eating grapefruit because it is a good household cleaner? Change the title to 4-reasons-to-add-grapefruit-to-your-diet.
Glad you caught that Jim!
Adding it to your day Jimbo, not 4 reasons to add to your diet. Maybe your prior bad experience eating household cleaners has impaired your cognitive abilities.
No eating cleaning products allowed!
Hi Tyler! To add to the confusion, we had a typo on our end and edited after Jim’s comments. Sorry about the misinformation.
— health enews staff
One big problem with grapefruit, however, is that it causes many interactions with medications including boosting their effects. These include calcium channel blockers, statins, immunosuppressants, benzodiazepines, and many behavioral health medications.
Here is a partial list of medications that interact with grapefruit: Nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat), Atorvastatin (Lipitor), Simvastatin (Zocor), Lovastatin (Mevacor), Cyclosporine (Sandimmune), Diazepam (Valium), Triazolam (Halcion), Midazolam (Versed), Buspirone (BuSpar), Sertraline (Zoloft), Carbamazepine (Tegretol), and potentially Sildenafil (Viagra).
People ought to speak with their physician before changing their diet if they are taking any medications.
Great points Steve, I think we could and should do a story on this as well!
This article makes me happy because I just ate half a grapefruit!
Agree with Steve above. Also grapefruit does negatively interact with most high blood pressure meds and certain diuretics. Suggest you use the scientific method approach when writing articles for/on a health site.
“Lowers bad cholesterol. Grapefruit is packed with antioxidants, which lower cholesterol. However, if you are on prescription drugs, consult with your doctor before consuming grapefruits as they can increase the effects of some medications in the body.”
the point about medication was included above!
If your metabolism is a little sluggish, help it to ramp up with some grapefruit added into your daily diet.