Red grapefruit: benefits and harms, calories

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Red grapefruit, or, as it is also called, paradise citrus, is familiar to many. Someone loves this juicy fruit, and some do not recognize its taste. But many believe that bitterness is its certain zest. Therefore, the fruit can be safely called original and refined. But one thing remains unchanged - a bright appearance, benefits for the body and many applications. We will talk about this unique fruit later in the article.

How to choose a fruit

Which of us has not experienced bad shopping in supermarkets! Bought spoiled fruit can spoil the mood. To prevent this from happening, check out our tips for choosing a ripe grapefruit.

The most important rule is appearance. If you are buying fruit outside of self-service stores, feel free to ask the seller to weigh you another fruit if this one looks unpresentable. A good grapefruit should be free of scars and dents. The presence of reddish spotsabout the maturity of the fruit, and brown indicate the beginning of decay. Recall that the shiny peel indicates that the fruit has been treated with a special chemical composition. This means that even with careful treatment with boiling water, a certain percentage of the chemistry will have time to penetrate under the peel.

When choosing red grapefruits, be sure to touch them. They should be elastic and weighty, then the fruit is ripe. When comparing two fruits, it is better to focus on a heavier one - such specimens will be juicy. One more piece of advice. Ripe citrus will exude its rich aroma even through the skin.

What is interesting about the composition?

The grapefruit fruit can be called a real vitamin bomb. This is because it contains a lot of useful substances. Let's see what are the benefits of red grapefruit. So, the Barbados fruit is rich in the following vitamins:

• nicotinic acid,
• retinol,
• riboflavin,
• vitamin B1,
• pantothenic, folic and ascorbic acids,
• pyridoxine,
• beta-carotene,
• tocopherol.

All these substances have a beneficial effect on the body, saturate it with nutrients, maintain human he alth and beauty. It is rare to find a fruit that has such a wide range of positive effects!

Many believe that orange contains more ascorbic acid. In fact, there is just as much of it in a red grapefruit. So the next time you want to boost your body with vitamin C,you can make a change and buy a grapefruit. It's even he althier with more natural sugars.

But this is not the whole list of useful substances of heavenly citrus. Bright pulp contains micro and macro elements:

• magnesium,
• phosphorus,
• sodium,
• calcium,
• iron,
• potassium.

Eating one piece of fruit once a week is a great way to saturate your body with nutrients.

Benefit

What is red grapefruit good for? With regular use of the fetus, human he alth is strengthened and a beneficial effect on the emotional background is observed. If lemons and oranges are associated with the sun and positive, then grapefruit is in no way inferior to them in brightness. Consider its useful properties:

1. Removes toxins from the body.
2. Amino acids are involved in tissue regeneration at the cellular level.
3. Removes excess fluid from the body, preventing edema from forming.
4. Thanks to vitamins A, B6, B1, PP and C, strengthens the immune system, increases resistance to viruses.
5. Bactericidal and antifungal properties kill harmful bacteria in the mouth to eliminate bad breath.
6. It has a beneficial effect on the activity of the digestive tract and liver.
7. Is an excellent cancer prevention tool.
8. Increases the elasticity of blood vessels, reduces the risk of heart pathologies.
9. Improves blood pressure, prevents the formation of cholesterol plaques,i.e., protects against atherosclerosis.
10. A couple of fruit slices can reduce discomfort in the lower abdomen in women during menstruation.
11. Helps normalize hormonal levels and reduce irritability during menopause.
12. Able to lower blood glucose levels, therefore recommended as a permanent component of the diabetic diet.

Negative aspects of grapefruit

Despite all the described advantages of the overseas fruit, it has certain contraindications. In some cases, eating citrus may be associated with more harm.

The first reason to refuse a bright fruit is the presence of stomach ulcers and other problems with the gastrointestinal tract (gastritis, colitis, hepatitis, cholecystitis). With caution and after a preliminary consultation with a specialist, you should eat it with increased acidity of the stomach and liver diseases.

Also be aware of a possible allergic reaction, even if the person is not allergic to citrus fruits.

It is recommended to rinse your mouth with water after fruit, as it destroys tooth enamel. It is advisable to drink citrus juice through a straw.

About drug interactions

Separately, it is worth talking about the special danger posed by grapefruit in combination with drugs. In medicine, there is a whole list of medicines (more than 100 items) with which red grapefruit cannot be combined. This list contains funds from various groups. So, paradise citrus is contraindicated in case ofconcomitant use with antidepressants, some painkillers, hormonal, immunosuppressive, cholesterol-lowering drugs that treat arterial hypertension and arrhythmias.

The substance furanocoumarin in the composition of the red fruit interacts differently with drugs. The effectiveness of the drug may decrease, increase or even be neutralized. In certain cases, it can be hazardous to he alth.

If you love the Barbados fruit and plan to start taking drugs, be sure to read the instructions for use and consult with a specialist. If there is no reliable information about the compatibility of the drug and grapefruit, then it is better to stop eating the fruits for a while.

More about specific benefits

Red grapefruit, the benefits and harms of which you already know, can not only be eaten. Other uses:

• Common in aromatherapy. Paradise citrus oil can be dropped into a bath of warm water (3 drops for every 10 liters of water). Half an hour in such a bath will give vivacity and energy.
• In cosmetology. The ester of the red fruit in the composition of cosmetics has established itself as an excellent remedy for wrinkles and sagging skin.

With alcohol intoxication, a glass of grapefruit juice can quickly get rid of a hangover.

Red grapefruit calories

Many nutritionists include this overseas fruit inthe diet of people who want to lose weight, as it reduces weight. And this is not in vain, because the citrus fruit is juicy and satisfying due to the large amount of fiber. However, the product is low in calories, which makes it indispensable for diets. So how many calories are in one red grapefruit? There are only 34 kcal per 100 grams.

Interesting facts about paradise citrus in weight loss:

1. The substance lycopene promotes fat burning.
2. One fruit can suppress hunger for a while.
3. It has a mild diuretic effect, which allows you to remove excess fluid from the body.
4. Fresh juice instead of a full breakfast can speed up your metabolism.
5. If breakfast is supposed, then you can eat a juicy slice 15 minutes before eating. This way you will feel full from eating less.

Usually grapefruit supplements the diet, but on fasting days it forms the basis of the diet. So, for example, red fruit helps to better digest protein from meat. By including the Barbados fruit in a salad, you can not only saturate the body with nutrients, but also dull hunger.

Why bitter fruit?

Grapefruit is the result of selection of pomelo with orange. The fruit has its unique bitter taste due to the content of the substance naringin. It is concentrated in a thin film that covers the red flesh.

Despite the fact that not everyone likes bitter citrus, it also has its admirers. It is worth adding that it is naringin that has a favorableimpact on the digestive system.

White and red grapefruits

There are several varieties of grapefruit. Usually in stores you can see not only red, but also a little different - white grapefruit. Outwardly, white is distinguished by yellow, almost like a lemon, skin. Inside is light yellow flesh.

Both varieties have equal content of potassium, carbohydrates, pectin and acids. The main difference is in the amount of provitamin A. In red, it is several times more. That is why it is often recommended to maintain good vision.