Health Benefits of Grapefruits

Grapefruits are packed with antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory nutrient to prevent disease helping the body to function properly.

Grapefruits contain excellent properties such as vitamins, potassium, lycopene, calcium, folate, phosphorus, which can support the system to fight any symptoms and conditions that may attack the body including cardiovascular health. Many research studies have proven that vitamin C fight cold and prevent harmful effect of free radical that triggers inflammatory conditions such as asthma, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Grapefruits are high in fibre, and low in calories.  According to World’s Healthiest Foods, half a medium-size grapefruits provides 59percent of your daily vitamin C needs.

Grapefruits has a long list of health benefits, it protects against serious conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and formation of tumours.  Grapefruits help to increase body metabolism and lowers insulin levels.

Grapefruits promote general health helping to fight fatigue, fever, malaria, diabetes, constipation, high cholesterol, excess acidity and urinary problems; it aids bowel movements, reduce chances of cancers and many more. Grapefruits is beneficial to internal organs, it is also helpful as a natural antiseptic for external wounds.

Here are some health benefits of Grapefruits:

• Cardiovascular Health: Due to the antioxidant and high potassium contents present in grapefruit, it can help to support the system functions, blood sugar levels, weight loss, and lowers LDL cholesterol known as bad cholesterol and triglyceride, which all works towards protecting your heart health.
• Boost Immune System: Grapefruits contains vitamin C and other antioxidants, which can help to boost the immune system to fight against any infection.
• Insulin Resistance: Grapefruit contains antioxidant to improve insulin sensitivity and maintain a healthy weight. Grapefruit helps to lower insulin levels.  
• Constipation: Grapefruit contains fiber, which helps to stimulate the digestive system and aids the bowel movement.
• Acidity: Grapefruit helps to prevent formation of acid in the body, it can also help to prevent other diseases that may occur due to excess acidity. Grapefruit has an alkaline reaction after digestion, which has a profound effect in treating acidity.
• Weight Loss: Grapefruit has a fat-burning nutrient, which can help to absorb and reduce starch and sugar in the body.
• Blood pressure and heart health: Grapefruits contain powerful nutrients combination of fiber, potassium, lycopene, vitamin C and choline, which helps to lower blood pressure and maintain a healthy heart.
• Cancer: Grapefruits contain bioflavonoids as well as strong antioxidant vitamin C and other anti-cancer properties, which have been discovered to stop cancer cells and combat the formation of free radicals.
• Indigestion: Due to the nutrients in Grapefruits, it can help to solve the problem of indigestion by reducing the heat and irritation in the stomach and aids bowel movement regulating the excretory system.
• Pregnancy: The bioflavonoids and vitamin C present in grapefruit can help to reduce water retention and swelling of the legs during pregnancy.
• Diabetes: Due to the contents in grapefruit, consumption of grapefruit can reduce the starches and sweets in the system.
• Battles aging: Grapefruit contains lycopene, which can fight the body’s cell aging triggered by harmful free radicals.
• Fever: Grapefruit is packed with nutrients that can help to fight and reduce fever.

Advice

Grapefruits should be avoided when taking some medication. Some drugs become potent when combine with grapefruits. These drugs include the immunosuppressant, cyclosporine, calcium-channel blockers, antihistamine; antiviral agent saquinavir and hormone estradiol according to world’s healthiest Foods.

If you suffer from kidney conditions, please be cautious when consuming grapefruits because too much potassium can be harmful to people with kidney condition as it can affect the proper functions of the kidney.

People with gastro-oesophageal reflux may experience heartburn and regurgitation when consuming highly acidic foods like grapefruits.

Source: World’s Healthiest Foods