In 1747, British naval physician James Lind discovered a miracle cure. For more than 400 years, sailors had been dying of scurvy, a condition caused by vitamin C deficiency. The miracle was citrus fruit. Contained in its own package and easily stored, citrus fruit such as oranges were perfect to carry on a ship. According to Dr. Huyoung S. Lee of the Florida Department of Citrus, oranges and grapefruit are excellent and delicious sources of vitamin C.
Origins
Originally from the West Indies, grapefruit was introduced to Florida in the 1820s. The trees are large with attractive glossy leaves. The fruit lives up to its name by hanging in clusters like grapes. Oranges came with Columbus and were eventually established in Florida. By the 1820s, orange groves were a fixture. The evergreen orange trees are less than 30 feet high and have fragrant flowers.
Nutrition
Fruit is a low-calorie food and citrus is no exception. A half of a grapefruit has 60 calories and an orange has 80 calories. Oranges and grapefruit are similar in vitamin content, but oranges offer 130 percent of the average daily value of vitamin C, while grapefruits have 100 percent. Grapefruit is a better source of vitamin A, providing 35 percent of the daily value; oranges contain 2 percent. Both fruits provide small amounts of thiamine, niacin, folate, riboflavin and B6.
Forms
Oranges and grapefruits are both available as frozen concentrate, juice from concentrate and pasteurized juice. According to Lee, concentrate and juice from concentrate can be mixed to keep the vitamin C content basically stable from one batch to the next. The vitamin C content of pasteurized juice varies during the year, depending on the origin and variety of the fruit.
Varieties
White, pink and ruby red are the grapefruit varieties available. All have similar flavor and are appealingly juicy. The pink and red varieties have a higher vitamin content. The different kinds of oranges are sweet, sour and mandarin, or tangerine. The sour variety is used for marmalade and liqueurs. The sweet type is grown in mainly in Florida, but also can be found in Arizona, Texas, and California.
Warning
While the two fruits are equal in many ways, if you are on medicine you might want to consult a doctor or pharmacist before consuming grapefruit or grapefruit juice. Grapefruit is known to interact with some common drugs. Thyroid medications, midazolam, cyclosporin and simvastatin are a few of the drugs that interact. If you are taking medicine that could be affected by grapefruit, consider drinking orange juice instead.
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