Benefits Of Consuming Grapefruit: The Powerhouse Of Vitamin C
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Grapefruit is a large citrus fruit related to the orange lemon family and might be confused at times with a blood orange. Grapefruits are white (blond), pink or ruby in category depending on the color of their flesh. Grapefruits are usually four to six inches in diameter, which may or not be seedless. It is a juicy and tangy fruit with an underlying sweetness that leaves a tart aftertaste.
Grapefruit is an excellent source of vitamin C. It supports the immune system and reduces cold symptoms or severity of these symptoms. Many scientific studies suggest that vitamin C is a cold-fighter. Vitamin C also prevents free radical from causing damage and triggering inflammatory conditions, such as asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Vitamin C promotes cardiovascular health as it prevents free radicals from oxidizing cholesterol that leads to plaques that cause heart attacks or stroke. Owing to the multitude of health benefits of vitamin C, it is not surprising that the consumption of grapefruit is associated with reduced death rate from heart diseases, stroke and cancer.
Like Your Lycopene
The rich pink and red lycopene concentration is the reason that grapefruit is so high in this carotenoid phytonutrien. Lycopene is only found in pink and red grapefruit. Lycopene is an anti-tumor compound that among the common dietary carotenoids and it has the highest capacity to fight free radicals, which can damage cells. Choosing to eat lycopene-rich grapefruits regularly may greatly reduce your risk of developing prostate cancer.
Like Your Limonoids As Well
Phytonutrients found in grapefruits are called limonoids. They inhibit tumor formation by promoting the formation of a detoxifying enzyme called glutathione-S-transferase. This enzyme enables the liver to make toxic compounds more water soluble for excretion from the body. The pulp of grapefruit contain glucarates, that can help prevent breast cancer. Not only this, but many studies have concluded that limonoids fight cancers of the mouth, skin, lung and stomach as well.
Cholesterol Is A Different Story
Grapefruit contains a form of soluble fiber called pectin. It has been shown in animal studies that pectin slows down the progression of atherosclerosis. Both white and red grapefruit have been found able to reduce levels of LDL in the bloodstream or bad cholesterol, and red grapefruit diminishes triglycerides as well. According to many researches across the world, red grapefruit was found to contain more bioactive compounds and total polyphenols than the blond ones, but both grapefruits are comparable in their content of fiber, phenolic and ascorbic acids. Although red grapefruit contains slightly more flavonoids and anthocyanins than the blond ones, they both are nonetheless, very healthy. Both the grapefruits significantly improve blood levels of protective antioxidants. Red grapefruit’s better performance may be due to high content of lycopene.
Don’t Let Your Kidney Get Stoned
The tastiest way to reduce your risk of calcium oxalate kidney stones is to drink grapefruit juice. A study recently proved that by drinking 1/2 to 1 liter of grapefruit juice daily, the urinary pH value and citric acid excretion increases, significantly dropping the risk of forming calcium oxalate stones in kidneys.
Scandalous Cancerous
Along with being rich in vitamin C, grapefruit also provides protection against lung and colon cancer. Drinking three 6-ounce glasses of grapefruit juice daily can render a cancer-causing enzyme useless. These chemicals found in tobacco smoke are more harmful than any other and can be harmless if grapefruit is incorporated in your daily diet. Grapefruit juice also promotes the production of normal colon cells and initiates apoptosis of cancer cells. It also prevents weight gain by lowering insulin levels.
References
https://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=25