KESEHATAN
The grapefruit is a large orange-like fruit that belongs to the citrus family. It is a somewhat “new” addition to the family, deriving from a natural cross-breeding between orange and pomelo, thus its size.
Grapefruits are widely cultivated in China, United States particularly Florida, California and other semi tropical southern states .The fruit has a slightly thick and tough skin than that of oranges and inside, the flesh is segmented like oranges. The fruit is very juicy and acidic varying in colours ranging from white, pink and red. Some varieties are seedless and in some, there may be as many as 50 seeds of half inch in length.
Grape fruit is rich in Vitamin A, carotene and lycopene. It is often revered as the “fruit of paradise” for its health promoting benefits as well as disease healing properties. Pink and red grapefruits are rich in beta carotene. It is also a storehouse of polychemicals such as flavonoids, terpens and limonoids. Pink grapefruit contains a carotenoid called lycopene Folate. In addition to being rich in Vitamin C, grapefruits are also rich In Vitamin A, fiber, potassium and magnesium. Additionally it contains moderate levels of Vitamin B complex such as Folate, riboflavin, pyridoxine and thiamine in addition to some resourceful minerals such as iron, calcium, copper and phosphorus.
The fruit provides a number of health benefits owing to its huge content of essential vitamins and minerals.
Health Benefit of Grapefruit
1. Weight Loss
Grapefruits and grape juices are proven to help people lose fat and maintain a healthy weight. Popular dieticians and nutritionists always recommend including grapefruits in daily diet chart because there is scientific evidence that eating grapefruit on a regular basis helps to lose weight significantly. Doctors have found that eating grapefruits lowers insulin, thus instead of storing sugar and converting them to fats, it uses it as a fuel that leads to weight loss.
Grapefruit is very low in calories and consists of only 42 calories per 100 grams. Thus it is a good option for people who want to lose weight and health benefits of grapefruit are many. Foods with fiber leave you feeling full and grapefruit is rich in water soluble fiber. Like watermelon, grapefruit has a high water content which makes you feel full.
2. Influenza
Grapefruit is a valuable remedy for influenza, since it helps to minimize acidity in the system. The bitter properties arising from an essence called ‘naringin’ in grapefruits tones up the system and the digestive process. Naringin is also considered a flavonoid, which are powerful antioxidant sources in the human diet. They also have antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory qualities, making them one of the most important lines of defense in the immune system, protecting against influenza as well as many other serious conditions.
3. Cancer
As an excellent source of the strong antioxidant vitamin C as well as other antioxidants, grapefruit can help combat the formation of free radicals known to cause cancer. Lycopene intake has been linked with a decreased risk of prostate cancer prevention in several studies and foods high in vitamin C and beta-carotene have been shown to lower the risk of esophageal cancer in particular.
4. Cholesterol Problems
Antioxidants present in grapefruit also helps to reduce cholesterol level in a person. Millions of people suffer from cholesterol problems which can lead to dangerous consequences. Doctors always recommend dietary changes for people who want to reduce cholesterol. It is advisable to include grapefruit in your diet if you suffer from cholesterol problems. It is particularly helpful for those people who abstain from taking medication. Eating grapefruits can decrease cholesterol level up to 15 %and can decrease triglyceride levels up to 17%. Grapefruit also boosts heart health and reduces heart disease.
5. Malaria
The juice, or the fruit itself, contains valuable and natural ‘quinine’ which is advantageous for the treatment of malaria. Quinine is an alkaloid with a long history of treating malaria, as well as lupus, arthritis, and nocturnal leg cramps. It is not an easy component to find in many foods, so grapefruits are a beneficial and rare example. The quinine can be easily extracted from the fruits by boiling a quarter of grapefruit and straining the pulp.
6. Fever
The pulp or the juice of grapefruit helps patients recover quickly from fevers, and it reduces the burning sensation that occurs when the body reaches a high temperature. It is also known as a way to boost the immune system against colds and other common illnesses. Grapefruit juice, when combined with water, can quench thirst very quickly and can keep you hydrated longer. Most of these benefits come from the high content of vitamin-C in grapefruits, which acts as a general immune system defense system and can help the body fight to break fevers.
7. Infections
The flavonoid content in grapefruits help the body to fight off infections and keep the body safe from illness and diseases. Eating a grapefruit every day or drinking grapefruit juice daily provides immunity against cardiovascular diseases. The flavonoid and vitamin C and minerals present in grapefruit makes it a disease busting powerhouse that tastes great too.
8. Fatigue
Grapefruits are also beneficial in the treatment of fatigue, so it can help you to dispel your general tiredness caused from routine or boring work. Drinking equal amounts of grapefruit juice and lemon juice can be a refreshing and delicious way to quickly boost your energy levels. Nootkatone is a very rare and important compound found within grapefruits, and is probably its most valuable component in terms of extracting as an aromatic substance. Nootkatone improves energy metabolism in the body through AMPK activation. This results in higher endurance and energy, increased weight loss, and a reduction in the the chances of developing diabetes.
9. Diabetes
Diabetic patients can safely eat grapefruit, because consuming grapefruit can reduce the level of starch in the body. If a patient is diabetic, intake of grapefruit can help them to regulate the flow of sugar in their body, effectively handling the disease. recent studies have shown this beneficial relationship between diabetes and grapefruits to be due to the flavonoid content of grapefruits, along with a number of other healthy benefits from those compounds.
10. Liver Cleanser
Grapefruit contains a number of liver detoxifying and cleansing agents, among them are various antioxidants and phyto nutrients called limonoids that help to excrete toxic from the liver by making them more water soluble. As mentioned earlier, grapefruit also contains naringenin which causes the liver to burn fat rather than store it.
11. Constipation
A glass full of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice in the morning is a great remedy to control 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.
12. Acidity
Fresh grapefruit juice creates an alkaline reaction after digestion. The citric acid of the fruit is contained in the human body and thus, increases the effect of the alkalinity reaction after digestion. The juice extracted from the grapefruit is beneficial in preventing acid formation and many other diseases that arise due to the presence of excess acidity in the body.
13. Flatulence
10 to 20 drops of grapefruit juice, taken before all three meals of the day, can work as an appropriate pro-biotic and digestive enzyme, and will relieve excess flatulence and stomach discomfort. Further research needs to be done on the exact mechanism behind this phenomenon, but again, people believe it relates to flavonoid content in citrus fruits like grapefruits.
14. Insomnia
A simple glass of grapefruit juice, if drunk before going to bed, can promote healthy sleep and alleviate the irritating symptoms and repercussions of insomnia. This is due to the presence of tryptophan in grapefruits, the chemical we often associate with becoming sleepy after big meals. The levels of tryptophan in grapefruit juice lets us nod off peacefully to sleep.
15. Grapefruit For Hair
- Grapefruit and its extracts are a good source of Vitamin C. Adequate consumption of Vitamins is imperative for health and growth of hair. Vitamin C has strong antioxidant properties that helps to enhance the immunity system and strengthens the connective tissues within hair follicles and protects their integrity.
- Our hair follicles often get clogged due to dandruff and dry flaky skin. This can damage the hair follicles if not treated and also inhibits hair growth. Grapefruit seed extracts can help to fight the bacteria on the scalp. It helps to soothe the skin and ward off the dandruff. This helps to get rid the follicles debris and encourage new hair to grow.
- Grapefruit juice is loaded with vitamin C and Vitamin A which is imperative for hair’s health. It boosts blood circulation in the scalp which promotes hair growth.
16. Grapefruit For Skin Care
- Grapefruit contains high amount of Vitamin A and C, minerals and anti-oxidants that benefit the skin through the grapefruit consumption or a homemade mask.
- The vitamin C and the antioxidant effects protect the skin from environmental hazards. It also stimulates the production of skin collagen that brings smoothness and elasticity to the skin. The retinol antioxidant gives your skin softness and, renews damaged skin and treats skin pigmentation.
- The potassium present in the grapefruit helps to smooth wrinkles and age spots and provides a protective shield against UV rays.
- Grape fruit refreshes the skin and the amino acid present in the grapefruit makes the skin more firm and soft.
