Grapefruit is one of those fruits that you either love or hate. Personally I love it! The bitter, sour flavor also has a bit of sweetness, and is the perfect accompaniment to a morning coffee. Add some eggs and toast and you’ve got yourself a full breakfast.
If you too incorporate grapefruit into your diet every day, you’re in luck: The fruit is chock full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, all of which can do wonders for your body and overall health—benefits you’ll probably notice if you’re consuming grapefruit regularly.
Read on for why you should adopt the motto, “A grapefruit a day keeps the doctor away.”
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Your skin will be glowing
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Grapefruit is super high in vitamin C (about 72 mg, or 120 percent of your daily value!), and vitamin C has been proven to make your skin smoother, reduce wrinkles, and help with sun damage. Vitamin C also helps in production of collagen, which helps support healthy skin.
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You might get sick less often
With all that vitamin C, plus the high amount of vitamin A grapefruit has as well, your immune system will benefit from consuming the fruit. On a similar note, there’s research to suggest that a lack of vitamin C can hurt your immune system. So it certainly doesn’t hurt to get your daily dose. “There’s nothing else you can do for a cold so why not?” says Ann Marie Chiasson, MD, University of Arizona College of Medicine.
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Wounds may heal quicker
Another perk of grapefruit’s high vitamin C content: “Vitamin C speeds up wound healing post surgically,” says Chiasson, who recommends her patients to take 500 milligrams of vitamin C before going into surgery. That’s because vitamin C aids in forming healthy scar tissue and new blood vessels.
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Your blood pressure might improve
According to a study published in the journal Metabolism, eating grapefruit every day may help promote healthy blood pressure and lipid levels, both of which might help with weight control and obesity prevention.
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Your cholesterol might get better
If you have a high cholesterol, grab a grapefruit. In a study published in the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry, eating grapefruit daily helped lower “bad” LDL levels of cholesterol in participants by as much as 15.5 percent compared to those who didn’t eat grapefruit each day. Just know that if you’re on a cholesterol-lowering drug, the FDA coincidentally warns not to combine it with grapefruit, which can cause some adverse effects.
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Your energy may spike
Citrus has a natural way of perking people up. “Citrus is really amazing for increased energy and vitality,” says Chiasson. (We weren’t lying when we said it was truly one of the best breakfast foods!)
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It might cease your appetite
Feel like you’re always hungry? Have a grapefruit, which has about 2 grams of fiber in about half—and fiber is known for feeling us fuller longer. That’s because fiber slows the rate your stomach empties, increasing digestion time. You might notice you don’t get as ravenous between your mid-day snack and dinner time (that is, if your snack is a grapefruit!).
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You won’t be dehydrated
Most people don’t reach the recommended eight eight-ounce glasses of water they’re supposed to drink every day, and as a result, may feel dehydrated. Grapefruit is about 91-92 percent water, earning the title of one of the most hydrating fruits to exist. Not to mention grapefruit has tons of electrolytes, so it’s known to prevent dehydration.
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It’ll regulate your bowel movements
Because grapefruit has a high water and fiber content, you might notice you’re more, echem, regular. Grapefruit can also help prevent constipation and promote healthy digestion.
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It might prevent insulin resistance
If eaten every day, grapefruit might help prevent insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes. In a study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food, participants who ate half of a fresh grapefruit before meals experienced a significant reduction in both insulin levels and insulin resistance, compared to those who didn’t.
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Weight loss
There are a lot of contradicting studies on whether grapefruit actually helps you lose weight, but there have been several studies that have shown those who eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice before a meal might lose weight quicker than those who don’t. We don’t think it can hurt!
Are you a grapefruit person? Did you know the fruit had all of these health benefits?
