Refreshing and delicious grapefruit is rich in phytonutrients like lycopene, vitamin A, and beta-carotene. The fruit is well known as “fruit from the paradise” for its unique health-promoting as well as disease preventing properties especially among the health-conscious, fitness enthusiasts.
1. Tumors and Cancer
Grapefruit contains a high amount of lycopene that is carotenoid phytonutrient and has anti-tumor property. Lycopene protects from free radicals as it actively fights to neutralize it. Pink Grapefruit contains a high amount of lycopene than any other variety. So including pink grapefruit in daily diet will help to fight prostate cancer.
2. Common cold
A common cold is usually your body telling you that you are overworked. A regular drink of grapefruit during a stressful period gives your immune system the boost needed to prevent it coming on.
3. Fatigue
At the end of a long and tiring day, drink a glass of grapefruit juice with lemon juice in equal parts with a little honey, to dispel all fatigue and tiredness.
4. Sore throat
Drinking a freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice helps relieve sore throats and soothes coughs.
5. Losing Weight
Grapefruit is high in enzymes that burn fats, has high water content and has less sodium. A combination of these three characteristics make grapefruit a perfect food for increasing your body’s metabolism. Try eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice every day and you will notice how quickly you lose those extra pounds.
6. Cancer Prevention
Lycopene is a carotenoid pigment that is responsible for the red color of grapefruit. It is a powerful agent against tumors and cancers as it acts as a scavenger of cancer-causing free radicals. Lycopene works best with vitamins A and C, which are also found in grapefruit.
7. Strengthens Immune System
It is well known any fruit rich in vitamin C will strengthen and support our immune system. Vitamin C works with other micronutrients that provide good and regular nourishment for the body. Micronutrient deficiencies of vitamins A, B6, C, and E have been found to alter immune responses in animals and are thought to have a similar effect on the human immune response.
8. Fever
The pulp or the juice of grapefruit helps patients recover quickly from fevers, and it reduces the burning sensation that occurs when the body reaches a high temperature. It is also known as a way to boost the immune system against colds and other common illnesses. Grapefruit juice, when combined with water, can quench thirst very quickly and can keep you hydrated longer. Most of these benefits come from the high content of vitamin-C in grapefruits, which acts as a general immune system defense system and can help the body fight to break fevers.
9. Diabetes
Diabetic patients can safely eat grapefruit, because consuming grapefruit can reduce the level of starch in the body. If a patient is diabetic, intake of grapefruit can help them to regulate the flow of sugar in their body, effectively handling the disease. recent studies have shown this beneficial relationship between diabetes and grapefruits to be due to the flavonoid content of grapefruits, along with a number of other healthy benefits from those compounds.
10. Charge Up Your Metabolism
Grapefruit also speeds up your metabolism, supporting your efforts to lose weight. Along with proper diet and exercise a metabolism lift can help you lose up to two pounds a week. An added benefit of a raised metabolism is that fat continues to burn even as you rest. Weight can be lost even faster and the healthier weight is maintained far more easily.
11. Liver Cleanser
Help the liver by cleansing unhealthy toxins from the body. Drinking or eating grapefruit leads to feeling better. Detoxification of the liver is said to improve overall help alleviate symptoms of chronic conditions, such as, depression, stiff muscles, and chronic headaches. Dangerous toxins that affect our health are all around us, a cleansing can help eliminate some of these deadly toxins.
12. Reduces Bad Cholesterol
Studies indicate that LDL, the bad cholesterol, was lowered by 15% with regular grapefruit consumption. Blond grapefruit was found to be more beneficial than red. Triglycerides, another form of bad cholesterol, were found to be lowered 17%. Benefits were seen after only a month when at-risk patients added it to their diet.
13. Gum Disease
Scientists found that eating two grapefruit a day prevents and can reverse damage caused by gum disease. The conclusion was that free radicals are not formed when grapefruit is added to the diet. Left untreated or undiagnosed gum disease can lead to oral cancer. Gum disease can also lead to bacteria that damage the heart.
Sources:
https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits
http://juicing-for-health.com
http://wiki-fitness.com
http://www.3fatchicks.com
http://www.medicaldaily.com
http://naturalsociety.com
http://www.lifehack.org
http://www.nutrition-and-you.com
http://www.livestrong.com
