Grapefruit or “fruit of paradise” is a citrus fruit with a tangy taste and it resembles to orange in appearance. The fruit can be categorized depending on the color of the pulp i.e. by white, red and pink color. Loaded with lots of antioxidants and phytonutrients, grapefruit is lower in calories and can be considered as a healthy dietary fiber option, thanks to its fiber content. The health benefits of this moon-shaped fruit are quite surprising.
Here Is The List Of The Amazing Health Benefits Of Grapefruit:
Weight Loss Food:
Grapefruit can help show positive results in reducing your weight when taken regularly in your diet. Few research studies have proved this fact after prolonged research on a group of 91 obese men for a period of twelve weeks. It showed unexpected results in improving insulin resistance.
Immunity Boosting Food:
Being a vitamin-C-rich food, grapefruit helps strengthen your immune system. Grapefruit also contains a lot of micronutrients that help nourish your body. Maintaining a good range of vitamin C in the body helps in preventing cold, flu and other such infections. In this way, grapefruit acts as a natural antihistamine. It helps lower histamine levels and control seasonal allergies. Few studies also claim that half of the grapefruit can meet around 78% of our body’s requirement of vitamin C.
Prevents Gum Disease:
Including grapefruits in your diet can reverse the damage caused to your gums. Being an excellent source of Vitamin-C, grapefruit can help treat and prevent gum diseases.
Busts Stress:
Few research studies claim that the smell of the grapefruit itself can help calm your mood and bust stress, depression and anxiety. The essential oil of grapefruit is used in aromatherapy to soothe your mind and soul.
Enhances Metabolism:
As discussed above, grapefruit helps in weight loss. High metabolism can help in burning off more calories faster. Grapefruit has fewer sodium levels, a bunch of good enzymes and high-water content. Hence, it helps burn fat easily.
Prevents Cancer:
Grapefruit can help lower the risks of prostate cancer. Naringenin in it helps in stimulating DNA repair in the cancerous cells and protects from cancer. Diet including a plenty of vitamin-C-rich foods can help lower the risks of cancers such as colon, bladder, esophagus, stomach and breast.
Reduces The Risks Of Developing Kidney Stones:
Naringenin is the enzyme in grapefruit responsible for its tangy taste. This enzyme also helps in lowering the risks of developing kidney cysts. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of grapefruit help reduce swelling of kidneys which are due to fluid retention.
Good For Digestion And Maintaining Regularity:
Grapefruit is high in water content and fiber and hence plays a vital role in enhancing digestion. It also helps prevent constipation and promote regularity.
For Heart:
Being a rich source of lycopene, fiber, vitamin C, and potassium, grapefruit is considered good for heart health. Including grapefruit in diet helped lower ischemic strokes in women as well.
Lowers Blood Pressure:
The increase in potassium intake can help cut down the levels of high blood pressure due to its vasodilation properties. Few studies mentioned that including grapefruit in diet helped in improving lipid profile, particularly in triglycerides.
Good For Diabetics:
Grapefruit is a diabetic-friendly food as it helps cut down the starch level. The flavonoids and enzymes present in grapefruit help in balancing the sugar levels in the body and help handle diabetes.
Good For Skin:
Eating half of the grapefruit or drinking a glass of fresh grapefruit juice is good for your skin and overall health as well. It can also be applied topically and by doing so; you can get rid of skin damage caused due to pollution. It can also help reduce wrinkles. Vitamin C in grapefruit helps in the formation of collagen. It is also one of the best hydrating foods that can help you keep your skin hydrated. Vitamin A in it also helps you in looking good.
For Flatulence:
Intake of grapefruit juice every day can act as an effective digestive enzyme and helps relieve stomach pain and excess flatulence. All thanks to the enzymes and flavonoids present in grapefruit.
For Eye Health:
The dark pulp containing grapefruits contain good amounts of beta-carotene that helps improve vision and overall eye health. It contains Vitamin A, naringenin as well as naringin ( a source of lycopene) both of which are known as flavonoid antioxidants that are considered good for vision.
Helps Cleanse Liver:
Grapefruit contains phytonutrients known as limonoids, which help in flushing off toxins from liver by making them water-soluble. It also contains antioxidants that help in cleaning and detoxifying the liver.
