What Are The Benefits Of Grapefruit For Weight Loss?

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, or NCHS, obesity is a big problem in the United States. In fact, NCHS reports that 32.2 percent of men and 35.5 percent of women in the U.S. are obese. Grapefruit may be very helpful in trimming off those excess pounds and getting you to a healthier weight. Grapefruit helps you maintain insulin levels, speed your metabolism and fill you up so that you eat less.

Maintains Insulin

According to Medical News Today, grapefruit has unique chemical properties that help to reduce your blood sugar or insulin levels, and this can help to promote weight loss. According to the Happy Nutritionist, if you have smaller amounts of insulin in your blood after meals, your body will use food for energy rather than store it as a fat. This may actually help you achieve higher amounts of weight loss than you would if you did not eat grapefruit. In addition, you are less likely to suffer from low blood sugar levels, which may cause you to become increasingly hungry and make you want to eat more throughout the day.

Low in Calories and Fat

One of the greatest benefits of grapefruit for weight loss is that it is low in calories and fat. According to Fit Day, grapefruit contains about 73 calories in a 1-cup serving and has less than a gram of fat. This makes it a wise choice for breakfast or even a snack between meals. In fact, according to Medical News Today, grapefruit can be a wise choice for low fat snacks if you are struggling to lose weight or battle obesity. Furthermore, a study by K. Fujioka and fellow researchers at the Nutrition and Metabolic Research Center at Scripps Clinic, published in the March 2006 edition of the "Journal of Medicinal Food," found that people who ate one-half of a grapefruit with each meal lost about 3.6 lbs., and some people in this study lost even more than 10 lbs. over a 12-week period.

Reduces Hunger and Overeating

Grapefruit contains a high amount of fiber, and according to the Happy Nutritionist the high fiber content is responsible for weight loss in those who eat grapefruit sections. However, the Happy Nutritionist also reports that a plant compound in grapefruit may be helpful with reducing your weight and helping you to feel fuller. Organic Facts reports that the high fiber in grapefruit helps you to feel fuller, which makes you less likely to overeat or eat between meals. Organic Facts also reports that grapefruit can help to reduce appetite, because the smell of the fruit actually reduces the feeling of hunger. Reducing the feeling of hunger when you are dieting is essential to a successful diet. Therefore, adding a grapefruit snack throughout the day can be very helpful with achieving your goals.