From Weight Loss to Diabetes: 5 Reasons to Eat Grapefruit

It can be yellow or pink but this juicy, bitter-sour-sweet fruit seems to be taken for granted. It is used to garnish breakfast plates and cut the spike of vodka but the grapefruit reins as one of the best kept secrets of citrus foods.

It received minimal attention until some discovered it’s unique weight loss benefits.

Once the diet industry got hold of grapefruit it seemed to peak and then slip back into obscurity making people turn their noses up even more at this innocent orb.

Well, science has brought to light some hidden, incredible advantages of this citrus treat so it may be time for you to re-acquaint yourself with 5 reasons to eat grapefruit.

Note: Some medications have a negative effect when combined with grapefruit. Always check with your doctor before adding grapefruit to your diet.

Blood Sugar Buddy

University of California, Berkley conducted a study of grapefruit’s effect in comparison to a popular diabetes drug on the blood of rodents. The findings showed parallel effects.

Researcher and lead author of the study, Joseph Napoli comments,

“The grapefruit juice lowered blood glucose to the same degree as metformin [diabetes prescription]…That means a natural fruit drink lowered glucose levels as effectively as a prescription drug.”

Therefore, it may be possible to use grapefruit to balance your blood sugar level keeping your diabetes symptoms at bay. Seek out a licensed Naturopathic doctor to see if grapefruit may be a good protocol for you. Always check with your medical doctor as well.

Helps the Ticker

Shela Gorinstein, PhD, lead researcher of a grapefruit study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry recommends the red variety for heart healthy strength.

According to the study, “Enjoying one grapefruit a day can help lower ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol levels by 15.5% and triglycerides by 27%.”

These kinds of numbers may be enough for some people to eat grapefruit to help keep their arteries clear placing less stress on the heart.

Boosts the Biggest Organ

Your biggest organ is your skin and grapefruit has been shown to give this a boost as well. It is a fruit that is high in vitamin C which has been proven to help the skin produce collagen. Collagen is a protein that feeds the skin keeping it looking smooth, firm and healthy.

Man’s Best Friend

Too many men are at risk fro prostate cancer and any help in preventing such is wholly welcomed. That’s why eating a grapefruit or more per day offers high amounts of lycopene.

Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that when consumed daily reduced prostate cancer risk according to a clinical study published in the “International Journal of Cancer” (5/05).

Fat Reduction

Weight gain is a frustrating, difficult challenge to reverse, yet grapefruit can help.

There is much validity to the previously mentioned grapefruit diet craze. First of all the high water content in grapefruits is a great way to fill your stomach so you don’t eat empty, fat forming calories.

A study from the Nutrition and Metabolic Research Center at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, California found that, “People who ate half of a grapefruit before each meal (without making any other dietary changes) shed an average of three and a half pounds over 12 weeks.” (Health)

Christine Gerbstadt, MD, author of Doctor’s Detox Diet comments, “The fruit’s compounds aid in fat burning and stabilizing blood-sugar and insulin levels,”

These 5 reasons to eat grapefruit bring to light the simplicity of just one of thousands of natural remedies that work.

It may seem difficult and inconvenient at first to implement more healthy eating into your life but once the wheels get turning, miles of positive results can ensue.