Grapefruit grows in varieties of pink, yellow, white or ruby color. The citrus gets its name from the way it grows in clusters on the tree, just like grapes. Commonly cut in half and eaten as a breakfast food, grapefruit can also be a snack and peeled liked an orange. Grapefruit is high in fiber and vitamin C, making it a good choice for health conditions such as constipation.
Constipation
According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, the definition of constipation is having three or less bowel movements per week, or having a hard, dry or painful-to-pass stool. This usually creates bloating, lack of energy, headaches and abdominal pain. Generally, the causes of constipation are poor diet, insufficient fluids, lack of exercise, stress and medications. For optimal health, you should experience at least one bowel movement per day.
Fiber
Constipation can be painful, irritating and lead to more serious health conditions. Fortunately, for most people it has an easy fix -- simply add more fiber to your diet. When stool remains in the colon for a prolonged time, it loses too much water, making it hard and dry. Fiber adds bulk to the stool and soaks up water to help move it through the colon. The American Dietetic Association suggests that all adults eat at least 20 g of fiber every day. For optimal bowel function, ingest between 30 and 40 g of fiber per day.
Fiber in Grapefruit
Grapefruit is an excellent source of fiber, providing 6 g per half. That is roughly a quarter of the daily-recommended amount for adults. To obtain this amount of fiber in a grapefruit, however, you have to peel it like an orange and eat the walls that separate the segments. If you cut it in half and extract only the sections, you ingest mostly juice -- which contains no fiber.
Pectin
The main type of fiber that grapefruits and other citrus contain is pectin. Pectin helps glue plant cells together, allowing fruit to remain firm and to retain its shape. Because of its ability to thicken and gel it is in many jellies and jams. A half grapefruit contains 4.6 g of pectin, more than apples, oranges and bananas. Fiber, especially pectin, helps in cases of diverticular disease, colon cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
