Before adding grapefruits to your healthy eating plan, there are a few facts about these tasty citrus fruits you should definitely know. Many people eat grapefruit to lose weight because it’s low in calorie, high in fiber, and it kicks start your weight loss. But it’s important to know everything about the fruit just to be sure it’s the right choice for your diet. Here are several interesting facts about grapefruit.
1. Low in calorie
Every woman knows that calories are those annoying things that make it hard to lose those unwanted pounds and may even make you gain weight if you consume too many of them. Grapefruit is the right choice for your diet, especially if you are watching your daily calorie intake. Grapefruit contains under 40 calories per half.
2. High in fiber
Grapefruit is rich in fiber that fills you up and helps minimize your hunger between meals. Grapefruit is the perfect choice for any meal because it helps satisfy your appetite and keeps you from reaching for unhealthy snacks. You can add a half grapefruit to your breakfast, but I don’t recommend you to add it to your lunch or dinner. You can also segment grapefruit and toss it into your salad.
3. High in Vitamin C
Eating a grapefruit in the morning will help you get all the vitamin C you need during the day. Just imagine, half a grapefruit has all the vitamin C we need for the whole day, so it’s really worth adding grapefruits to your breakfast. Just slice a grapefruit in half and scoop out the sections with a spoon. Plus, you can broil it with brown sugar for a delicious dessert.
4. High in Vitamin A
Grapefruits contain vitamin A, which is vital for the immune system and which is also a powerful antioxidant that helps fight the free radical damage that leads to numerous health issues, including cancer. Half a grapefruit contains more than 300 IU of vitamin A – key for good vision, cell growth and a healthy immune system.
5. Grapefruit comes in many colors
While the most common color of grapefruit you find in supermarket is pink, there are some other colors. There are white, red and yellow grapefruits as well. The flavors are not so different, they are all sweet and tangy but have plenty of wonderful benefits, so make sure you try these grapefruits too, of course, if you find any of them.
6. Size
Grapefruit trees, which have dark green leaves, typically grow to around 30 feet in height. Grapefruits usually range in size from 4 to 6 inches in diameter. The fruits develop from the white flowers’ ovaries, which bloom on the trees.
7. The grapefruit juice can interact with medicines
Perhaps, this is a fact that you have never heard before. The grapefruit juice alters the potency of some medicines, increasing the risk of overdosing. In many cases, the grapefruit juice can make medicines less effective. So, if you take any prescribed medications, be sure to ask your doctor about whether grapefruit and grapefruit juice are healthy for you or not.
8. It’s fat free
Calories play a big role when it comes to losing weight, but so does fat. Probably you know that fat contains nine calories per gram, and if you consume too much of it, your chances of gaining weight will go up. Grapefruit is fat free, so you can eat it any time without feeling guilty!
9. Grapefruits are easy to store
The great news is that grapefruits don’t get affected by high temperatures. You can store your grapefruits for a week at room temperature, and for about three months in a refrigerator. The problem is, many fruits spoil quickly and it can be difficult to buy fruits daily. When you buy grapefruits, you can put them in the fridge and don’t worry that they spoil quickly.
10. Grapefruit production
One grapefruit tree can produce 1,300 to 1,500 pounds of grapefruit a year. Arizona and Florida grapefruit is available year round, though Florida is the largest producer of grapefruit. There are about 5,061,023 tons of fruit produced each year, with the US producing 1,580,000 tons of grapefruit.
So, after reading the facts mentioned above, did you learn something absolutely new about grapefruit? I love grapefruits and try to eat one each day. Grapefruits taste so good! Will you eat one right now?