Grapefruit and grapefruit juice are easy to find, since the United States is the leading producer of this fruit in the world. Grapefruit juice is one of the healthier fruit juices, providing lots of nutritional value, as well as possible health benefits. However, people on certain medications should avoid drinking this juice.
Nutrition Facts
An 8 ounce serving of 100 percent red grapefruit juice contains 94 calories, 120 percent of the recommended vitamin C, 22 percent of the recommended vitamin A, 11 percent of the recommended potassium, 6 percent of the recommended folate and magnesium, 3 percent of the recommended iron and niacin and 2 percent of the recommended vitamin B-6 and calcium. Red grapefruit juice does not contain any fat, sodium or cholesterol, according to the Florida Department of Citrus.
Possible Health Benefits
Red grapefruit juice may strengthen the immune system, aid in detoxification, help to repair DNA and provide antioxidant benefits that may reduce the risk of cancer, stroke, kidney stones and heart disease, as well as reducing inflammation, according to the George Mateljan Foundation.
Considerations
Drinking red grapefruit juice does not provide as many health and nutritional benefits as eating the whole red grapefruit. Grapefruit contains beneficial soluble fiber, which may lower cholesterol, and this is removed when grapefruit is made into juice. One 8-ounce serving of grapefruit juice also has a lot more calories than a serving of half of a grapefruit, with 94 calories in the juice versus 46 calories in the fruit.
Warning
Grapefruit juice interacts with some prescription medications, including statins, cyclosporine, terfenadine, estradiol, saquinavir and calcium channel antagonists. The grapefruit juice makes it so that more of these drugs is absorbed, and it can't be predicted how much extra will be absorbed, so people on these drugs should avoid red grapefruit juice.
Choosing a Grapefruit
For the best nutritional value, the George Mateljan Foundation recommends choosing a fully ripe grapefruit that is firm and heavy for its size, as these fruits will have the most antioxidants. Avoid those with wrinkly skin, large soft spots or other signs of decay.
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