When you first hear about “grapefruit”, perhaps you might be thinking of a fruit whose appearance resembles grapes. But don’t be fooled by its name, because indeed it has no relations to the actual grapes at all. Grapefruits are originally a hybrid product in between pomelo and orange.
It has the appearance of an orange on the outer skin, and the inside of a pomelo. Here are several facts about the grapefruit and why you should consider eating some for breakfast.
Origins of the Grapefruit
Just like what it is mentioned above, grapefruits are a cross in between pomelos and oranges. It was first invented in the 18th century. The reason why it is referred to as the grapefruit is because it is grown in clusters, similar to ordinary grapes.
Nutritional Values of Grapefruit
A cup of grapefruit sections contains these following nutrients:
- 0.23 grams of fat
- 74 grams of calories. Here is the complete list of foods and drinks calories table.
- 0 grams of sodium and cholesterol
- 18.58 grams of carbohydrate
- 1.45 grams of protein
- Vitamin E
- Thiamine
- Riboflavin
- Niacin
- Folate
- Potassium. These are the benefits of potassium.
- Pantothenic Acid
- Zinc
- Phosphorus
- Manganese
- Copper
- Antioxidants that are made up of beta-carotene, lycopene as well as other active herbal compounds.
- Vitamin A
All the data above is based on the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) National Nutrient Database.
Why Should You Consume Grapefruits for Breakfast?
Here are the health benefits of eating grapefruit for breakfast:
1. Excellent Source of Vitamins C and A
One serving of grapefruit fulfills 132% and 43% of an individual’s daily vitamins C and A needs respectively. That’s a lot of number for just one serving!
2. Better Management of Blood Pressure and Lipids
Studies have concluded that grapefruit contributes to improvements in blood pressure as well as lipid levels. These two are linked to obesity in the long run, in which a well-managed blood pressure and lipid levels are essential for weight control.
3. Plenty of Vitamins, Minerals, Water as well as Fibre Inside
Water helps you to stay hydrated as you carry out your daily activities, whereas fibre is needed to maintain a healthy digestion. Grapefruit is rich in all of the four, making it an ideal choice for breakfast. As for water, approximately 90% of its meat are made of water!
4. Promotes Heart Health
Grapefruit contains all the essential vitamins needed to achieve a healthy heart, such as vitamin C, fibre, lycopene as well as potassium. USDA’s National Nutrient Database has it that a 3 to 3.5 inch of grapefruit contains potassium as much as 139mg, which boosts a lot of our ideal potassium intake. Meanwhile, another research has it that a person who consumes about 4069 milligrams of potassium per day has their risk of heart diseases reduced up to 49%.
5. Reduces Cancer plus Stroke Risks as Well
Grapefruit is a wealthy source of antioxidants, such as the vitamin C. Vitamin C plays a role in combating the establishment of free radicals that leads to cancer. While on the other hand, another grapefruit nutrient, which is the lycopene is thought to decrease the dangers of prostate cancer.
As for stroke, the American Heart Association also suggests that eating high number of grapefruits can also lower the risk of ischemic stroke for females, thanks to flavonoids. Grapefruits can reduce the risk of ischemic stroke as much as 19%. These are the list medicinal plants used cancer treatments.
6. Maintains a Healthy Skin
Again, antioxidants inside grapefruit also helps to uphold healthy skin. The antioxidants, which come in the form of vitamin C aids the production of collagen.
Collagen is the basic nutrient for a healthy skin, and helps to counter skin damage caused by sunlight, pollution, reduces wrinkles, and hydrates the skin plus enhances its texture plus appearance in return. Apart from vitamin C, water as well as vitamin A inside the grapefruit also brings some goodness to the skin.
Indeed, that’s health benefits of eating grapefruit for breakfast.
Healthy Grapefruit Do-It-Yourself Ideas
Grapefruit are not only ideal for breakfast, but then it also turns out to be very ideal for consumption anytime throughout the day. These are some DIY creations that you can try making out of the grapefruit.
- Make it into a refreshing yet rejuvenating smoothie. These are also the health benefits fruit veggie smoothies.
- Create a parfait using grapefruits as well as other fruits such as banana, oranges or strawberries.
- Include it inside a smoothie bowl together with oatmeal, berries and almond.
- Broil it.
- Make it into a dessert in the form of scones, tarts, or even popsicles.
- Use it as a salad ingredient. Here are the health benefits of salad for breakfast.
- Eat it on its own, whether it is fresh or with another dressing.
Cautions When Eating Grapefruit
It is known from the information above that grapefruit is an extremely rich source of liquid. As healthy as it seems, it may not help for those with kidney problems. First, the kidneys of the affected person may not be able to cope with the drastic increase of liquid intake. Second, too much potassium may also be not good for these people. If your kidneys aren’t able to remove excess potassium from the blood system, it may be fatal.
And then, the grapefruit has the enzyme-binding ability. Grapefruit carries potential risks when consumed while you are in medication. In this case, grapefruit makes the medicine to distribute throughout the blood stream faster than normal. Refrain from consuming grapefruits when you are undergoing psychiatric, statin as well as calcium channel blocking medications.
A 2015 Journal of Clinical Oncology found out that high consumption of citrus juice, which includes grapefruit itself poses risk for melanoma. Melanoma is the highest yet deadliest category of skin cancer. It is believed that this could be possible due to the grapefruit compounds that makes the skin more sensitive to sunlight. However, more scientific findings are yet to be released, so the authors of that journal advised readers to be more aware of prolonged sun exposure instead of cutting back citrus consumption.