Grapefruit
The peak season shines down on us from January through about March or April for Grapefruit. This is the time it is at its juiciest and sweetest. And sweet grapefruit is! Citrus growers over the years have improved the varieties they plant, lessening the characteristic grapefruit bitterness and leaving many of the seeds behind. Pink and red grapefruit outsell their paler counterparts.
Oddballs such as oroblanco, Ugli fruit and pommelos have become more widely available. Developed in the 1950's, oroblancos are a cross between pommelos and grapefruit. They have pale yellow skin and juicy, sweet flavor. Ugli fruit are a cross between grapefruit and tangerines. They are cursed with an unattractive bumpy rind, but blessed with sweet yellow-orange fruit. Pommelos are giant, thick-skinned grapefruit-like fruit. Compared with standard grapefruit, they have a drier, less acid taste.
Grapefruit for Weightloss?
According to researchers at Scripps Clinic in California, eating half a grapefruit before each meal may help you lose weight -- up to one pound a wekk -- even if you change nothing else about your diet. The study's author, Ken Fujioka, MD, says a compound in grapefruit helps regulate insulin, a fat-storage hormone. Anything that helps lower insulin can help people lose weight. Grapefruit appears to be one of those foods. Suggestion to work grapefruit into your diet: Peel and segment; cut into chunks and add to spinach salad. It's also a great companion with shrimp or peeled, sliced jicama.
Grapefruit for dessert?!
Yes, Oroblancos are truly THE
"Dessert Grapefruit"! Oroblanco, which means "white gold"
in Spanish, is a cross between a Pummelo and a grapefruit
developed in the 1950s. With a yellow skin, Oroblancos
have a sweet and juicy grapefruit flavor without the bitterness
or acidity.
Nutrition
Grapefruit Sections; 1-cup: Fresh grapefruit sections from California or Arizona, whether pink, red, or white, have about 85 calories, 1 gram of protein, and about 3 grams of fiber, which can help lower cholesterol and assist with digestion and elimination. Also, according to the World Cancer Research Fund and American Institute for Cancer Research, diets high in fiber possibly decrease the risk for cancer of the colon, rectum, breast, and pancreas. Grapefruit sections from Florida have 69 to 74 calories.
The carbohydrate content varies between 17 and 22 grams, while the fat content is negligible.
Lycopene gives some fruits and vegetables their unique and vibrant colors and also act as a powerful antioxidant against free radicals that can damage cells, DNA, and proteins. Pink and Ruby Red grapefruit contain lycopene, which has been associated with decreasing the risk of ovarian cancer and prostate cancer. As an antioxidant, lycopene also has been linked to reducing risk of heart disease, the number one killer of women today.
Red and pink grapefruit shines with its approximately 596 I.U. of vitamin A. The white grapefruit is much lower in vitamin A with about 23 I.U.
Grapefruit has a full range of B vitamins with the exception of vitamin B12 and contain about 28 mcg of folic acid. Grapefruit contains vitamin B6 which can help convert homocysteine to cysteine and lower the amount of homocysteine in the blood and the risk for heart disease.
Packed with Vitamin C
Grapefruit are loaded with vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid) ranging from 79 to 88 mg. In fact, half of one grapefruit provides more than a full day's supply of vitamin C! Vitamin C is one of the most powerful antioxidants acting as a scavenger to neutralize harmful elements naturally occurring within the body and helps fight cell and tissue damage that could lead to disease.
Vitamin C also helps the body fight infection and may reduce risk of diseases, such as cancer. In fact, one report shows that people with low vitamin C intake (less than 50 mg/day) appeared to have approximately twice the cancer risk, compared to people with higher (greater than 100 mg/day) vitamin C intake.
Grapefruit offers plenty of calcium, potassium, which can help lower blood pressure. According to the National High Blood Pressure Education Program, potassium plays an important role in our cardiovascular health. Higher potassium intake has been associated with lower blood pressure and reduced risk of stroke. Grapefruit also contains magnesium as well as trace amounts of iron and zinc.
Magnesium helps your body generate energy and is required for the action of over 300 enzyme systems in your body. A study by the USDA found that during moderate exercise, people with low magnesium levels used more energy and tired more easily than those with adequate levels. Give your work out a boost with an orange, grapefruit or tangerine.
Grapefruit contain more than 60 phytonutrients, many of them known as flavonoids, a class of natural antioxidants that many scientists believe may help the body in its battle against aging, allergies, infection, cancer, ulcers and heart disease.
The grapefruit membranes are a good source of pectin, a soluble fiber helpful in reducing cholesterol.
Canned grapefruit juice has about 100 calories (1-cup) and 1 to 2 grams of protein. Most canned grapefruit juice is sold with the pulp removed, resulting in a loss of fiber. The carbohydrate content of the juice is similar to the grapefruit sections with 17 to 22 grams.
See also: Grapefruit Facts, Good Eats: Grapefruit Juice
