Amazing Nutrition Facts of Grapefruit

Before going into the amazing nutrition facts of Grapefruit, let’s have a quick look at its fun facts. It was first called forbidden fruit because it was seized upon by those searching the identity of the original tree of good and evil in the Garden of Eden. It appeared in Barbados in the middle of the eighteenth century as a natural cross between the orange and pomelo.

 Grapefruit

Doesn’t it’s name sound so wrong. It was really so called because it grows in groups that when small, green and unripe look to a vivid imagination a bit like a bunch of grapes. The evergreen grapefruit trees are usually 16-20 feet tall with dark, glossy green, long and thin leaves.

Characteristics

This fruit is oblate spheroid in shape. It’s available in yellow, orange, white, pink and red pulps of varying sweetness (redder the color, sweeter the taste). China is the top producer of grapefruit followed by United States and Mexico. Cultivated varieties of grapefruit include:

  • Duncan (white, seeded)
  • Marsh (seedless)
  • Foster (pink, seeded)
  • Thompson (pink, seedless)
  • Redblush (red, seedless)

Here are some serving tips for grapefruit

  • Best when eaten fresh.
  • It’s juice can be refreshing drink.
  • Used in the preparation of desserts, jams, marmalades and jellies.

Nutrition Facts of Grapefruit

Grape fruit holds an esteemed position amongst the citrus family fruits because of its distinctive flavour and nutritious properties. Following are some nutrition facts of grapefruit.

1 Calories:

Just 42 calories/100gm. The Scripps Clinic ‘Grapefruit Diet’ study, led by Dr. Ken Fujioka, monitored the weight and metabolic factors of 91 obese men and women for 12 weeks, eating half a fresh grapefruit before meals. After 12 weeks, the fresh grapefruit group had lost the most weight at 3.52 lbs, the grapefruit juice group had lost 3.3 lbs, the grapefruit capsule group had lost 2.42 lbs, and the placebo group had lost 0.66 lbs.

 2 Water content:

Human body cannot function properly without enough water, which comprises 60 percent of the body weight. Water assists
–       fat and glucose to working muscles,
–       transport oxygen,
–       regulates body temperature,
–       digests food and
–       eliminates waste products

3 Carbohydrates:

It’s rich in insoluble fibre pectin, which help as bulk laxative, a binding to cancer-causing chemicals in colon, and decrease re-absorption of cholesterol in the colon.

 4 Vitamin A:

It provides 1150 IU /100gm of vitamin A which is required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin. It also protects from lungs and oral cancers.

5 High amounts of lycopene in Grapefruit has anti-tumor property. It protects skin from UV rays and also from prostrate cancer.

6 Studies have proven that limonoids in Grapefruit have anti-cancer properties and thus provides protection from colon, breast, mouth, skin, stomach and lung cancer.1

7  This fruit is amongst the rare example of fruits that contains ‘quinine’ which is wide spread used for the treatment of malaria.

8  Vitamin C:

100gm of grapefruit provides 52% of our daily requirement of vitamin C. vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that
–       helps body develop resistance against infectious agents,
–       maintains healthy connective tissues and
–       aids in absorption of dietary iron in intestine.
–       provides protection against cold and flu
–       solves respiratory problems by strengthening the immune system
–       nourishes skin
–       obstructs the increase of kidney stones
–       connects tissues and is very good for healing injuries and wounds.

9  Potassium:

135mg of potassium electrolyte/100gm of grapefruit. Potassium is a vital element of cell and body fluids which regulates heart rate and BP through countering sodium effects, thus keeps the heart perfectly healthy.

10   B vitamins:

It contains moderate levels of B-complex group of vitamins such as folates, riboflavin, pyridoxine and thiamine.

11  Minerals:

Other than potassium it contains some resourceful minerals such as iron, calcium, copper, zinc, phosphorus and magnesium.

Buying guides:

Skin should be thin, smooth, firm and blemish free.
Grapefruit should be heavy for their size.
It should be devoid of any wrinkles on the skin.
Avoid overly soft fruits with spots.

Storing:

In order to preserve this fruit for a longer period of time, it is stored best at room temperature for few days or so. For extended storage, refrigerate inside the fruit/ vegetable compartment of the home fridge.

References

1.Kim J et all, Limonoids and their anti-proliferative and anti-aromatase properties in
breast cancer cells. Food Funct. (2013)

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Yusra Kashif

Yusra Kashif has done masters in Food and Nutrition. She has also worked as a Dietitian in an international hospital and as a teacher in a private school. Currently she is taking a further degree in “Food and Nutrition Advisor” from U.K. She loves crafts, baking, cooking and exploring. Yusra is currently a stay at home mum and a part time writer.

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