The sweet, yet somewhat sour citrus tang of grapefruit is loved by some and reviled by others, but the health benefits of this morning breakfast staple are undeniable. Grapefruit is convenient sources of numerous nutrients, neatly packaged in a conveniently portable form. Its important to note that substances found in grapefruit may cause increased blood levels of certain prescription medications. Consult your doctor if you're taking medications that may interact with grapefruit.
Weight Loss
Grapefruit weight loss diets fade in and out of obscurity, but research performed by the Nutrition and Metabolic Research Center at Scripps Clinic vouches for the effectiveness of grapefruit as a citrusy flab fighter. The study, conducted by Dr. Ken Fujioka in January 2004 and presented to the American Chemical Society, found those who added grapefruit or grapefruit juice to their diet lost weight, despite making no other attempt to diet. Weight loss was thought to be related to grapefruit's relationship to insulin resistance. Grapefruit is believed to lower insulin levels and allow the body to use energy more efficiently. More studies are needed to further confirm the effectiveness of grapefruit as an adjunct to a weight loss program.
Cancer Fighting Compounds
Chemicals found in grapefruit and grapefruit juice may have inhibiting effects on certain enzymes that increase the risk of cancer. Kristine Cuthrell and Loïc Le Marchand of the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii reported in 2006 that smokers who drank white grapefruit two times a day for seven days had decrease activity of an enzyme found in the liver that bioactivates cigarette carcinogens. Also in 2006, Nancy D. Turner and a team of researchers from the Faculty of Nutrition at Texas A&M University found that a powder made from grapefruit pulp, and isolated compounds found with grapefruit, reduced precancerous lesions. Cuthrell notes that human studies of the anticarcinogenic properties of compounds found in grapefruit have not been widely performed, and further studies would be helpful.
Cardiovascular Support
In 2006 researchers at the Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School in Jerusalem found that grapefruit consumption benefits those who suffer from hyperlipidemia, and coronary atherosclerosis. Red grapefruit was noted as having significantly more beneficial effects than blonde grapefruit, due to its higher concentration of bioactive compounds with high antioxidant qualities. However, both types of grapefruit produced better effects in their test subjects than were found in a control group that did not consume grapefruit.
References
- "Potential Health Benefits of Citrus"; Grapefruit and Cancer: A Review; Kristine Cuthrell and Loïc Le Marchand; June 2006
- "Potential Health Benefits of Citrus"; Comparison of the Chemoprotection Conferred by Grapefruit and Isolated Bioactive Compounds Against Colon Cancer; Nancy D. Turner et al: June 2006
- Medical News Today: Red Grapefruit Appears To Lower Cholesterol, Fight Heart Disease
- "Potential Health Benefits of Citrus"; Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, and the Benefits of Citrus; Ken Fujioka and Michael W. Lee: June 2006
- "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry"; Red Grapefruit Positively Influences Serum Triglyceride Level in Patients Suffering from Coronary Atherosclerosis: Studies in Vitro and in Humans; Shela Gorinstein et al; February 2006
- Medical News Today: Grapefruit and Weight Loss
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