Fresh grapefruit and 100% grapefruit juice are great-tasting, natural superfoods that offer many health benefits. Among them:
Antioxidants. Half of one grapefruit gives you more than 100% of the recommended Daily Value for vitamin C. Vitamin C is an important antioxidant, as it may help neutralize "free radicals" formed as part of the oxidation process, as well as in response to some of the influences of modern life, like smoking and air pollution. Many scientists believe that cell damage caused by free radicals may contribute to the development or progression of chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer.
Weight Management. Americans trying to maintain a healthy weight should consume fruits and vegetables with high water content, like grapefruit to help you feel fuller and satisfied. One-half of a Florida grapefruit is fat-free and contains 60 calories. Grapefruit juice is fat-free and has fewer calories than many fruit juices at less than 100 calories per 8-ounce glass.
Glowing Skin. Vitamin C found in fresh grapefruit and grapefruit juice is essential for the production of collagen, which is needed for healthy skin and gums. Collagen breakdown in the skin may lead to signs of premature aging. Regular consumption of Florida grapefruit or grapefruit juice can provide you with the vitamin C you need to help support collagen formation.
Immune System Support. When you get a cold, it's important to give your body the fluids and nutrients it needs. A serving of grapefruit provides more than 100% of the recommended Daily Value for vitamin C, plus other nutrients and phytochemicals which can help support a healthy immune system.
Vitamin Absorption. Citrus foods like grapefruit and grapefruit juice are high in vitamin C, which may help boost the absorption of non-heme iron (the iron found in plants, like spinach, not meat products). This is great news for young women, female athletes and vegetarians who may be more susceptible to iron deficiencies.
Healthy Heart. Florida grapefruit was the first fresh produce item to receive the American Heart Association heart-check mark, designating foods low in sodium, cholesterol and fat.
Cancer. Red and pink grapefruit varieties contain lycopene, which some studies suggest may help in the fight against certain cancers and heart disease.
Cholesterol. Pectin, a soluble fiber found in citrus fruits like grapefruit, may also help to maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
Grapefruit Juice Has The Highest Nutrient Content
A new study shows citrus juices provide more nutrients per calorie than many other commonly consumed 100% fruit juices. Pink grapefruit (such as Ruby Red and other colored varieties) and orange juices earned the highest nutrient-density scores because compared to some other fruit juices in the analysis they are lower in calories and higher in essential nutrients.
Co-funded by the University of Florida and the Florida Department of Citrus, the study used six methodologies to quantify the nutrient density of seven commonly consumed 100% fruit juices including apple, grape, orange, pineapple, pink grapefruit, prune and white grapefruit. Pink grapefruit juice had the highest nutrient-density score based on all methods except one, where orange juice had a slightly higher score. Orange juice ranked second in all other methods. White grapefruit juice ranked third in all six methods.
The USDA 2005 Dietary Guidelines encourage consumers to eat more nutrient-dense foods because they offer important benefits such as reduced risk for a number of chronic diseases, normal growth and development of children, and health promotion for people of all ages. Read the full nutrient density report.
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Health & Vitality
Improving your overall health is as easy and flavorful as the selection of foods on your plate. The popularity of superfoods is on the rise due to the exceptional health and wellness benefits they provide. Superfoods contain a substantial number of nutrients compared to their total calories. Pairing them in recipes is one of the easiest and most delicious ways to support long-term wellness.
Florida grapefruit and 100% grapefruit juice are great-tasting and nutrient-dense superfruits and juices. They're great on their own and add antioxidant vitamin C, potassium and folate content to recipes. Pink and red varieties also contain lycopene. Whether you're striving to maintain a healthy weight, help your body fight disease or support skin health, regular consumption of superfoods can play an important role in helping accomplish these goals, as part of a healthy diet.
Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid)
Grapefruit are loaded with vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid). 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 intake1.
Vitamin C makes a body grow! It helps babies grow and build strong bones and teeth. And, it helps the expecting mom's body absorb iron.
Fiber
Grapefruit contains 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.
Folate
What does Folate do?
Folate is essential for growth and development. It plays a key role in DNA formation and cell division, helps guard against one form of anemia, and can help reduce the risk of birth defects of the brain and spinal cord, known as "neural tube defects."
To help reduce the risk of someday having a baby with a neural tube defect, women should get plenty of folate every day. Eat an orange, a grapefruit or a tangerine to increase the folate in your diet.
Folate significantly modifies homocysteine levels in the body. Homocysteine, an amino acid in the blood, is related to coronary heart disease and cognitive impairment, when high levels exist2.
According to recent studies by Tufts nutrition experts, low levels of folate have been linked with low energy levels, depression and even memory loss3. So have a grapefruit to keep energy up.
Lycopene
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.
Potassium
Grapefruit provide 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 stroke3.
Vitamin B6
Grapefruit contain vitamin B6 which can help convert homocysteine to cysteine and lower the amount of homocysteine in the blood and the risk for heart disease.
Phytonutrients
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 disease4.
Magnesium
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 levels5. Give your work out a boost with an orange, grapefruit or tangerine.
Thiamin
Juice a grapefruit or eat a fresh grapefruit for energy! They're full of thiamin, which helps convert food into energy you need.
Niacin
Eating a grapefruit daily can help metabolize the food you eat into energy your body can use. Niacin also is used for DNA repair.
References
Block G. Vitamin C and cancer prevention: the epidemiologic evidence. Am J ClinNutr1991Supplement; 53:270S-282S.)
Acts as a scavenger to harmful elements in your body.
One of the most powerful antioxidants, vitamin C neutralizes free radicals (harmful elements naturally occurring within the body and through environmental factors) to help fight cell and tissue damage that could lead to diseases, including cancer and heart disease. Vitamin C also helps the body fight infection.
A prominent cancer researcher, Gladys Block, Ph.D., reports 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 intake1.
Both the expectant mother and baby need this vitamin daily. it's the cementing agent that holds new cells together. It helps babies grow and build strong bones and teeth. And, it helps the expectant mother's body absorb iron.
Vitamin C-rich foods should be included daily to get the most iron out of other foods .
Vitamin C is essential for tissue repair, wound and bone healing, and healthy skin .
Vitamin C requirements rise 13 percent when a woman is expecting2.
Increases iron absorption.
As many as 20 percent of all women, and up to 80 percent of women who exercise, may be iron deficient.
Vitamin C can help boost the absorption of non-heme iron (the iron found in plants, not meat products). So including a glass of grapefruit juice before eating a spinach salad helps your body absorb two to four times as much iron.
Supports your immune system.
When you feel that tickle in the back of your throat and your nose starts running, it is important to give your body the fluids and nutrients it craves to stay healthy. A serving of grapefruit juice can provide vitamin C and a host of other nutrients such as folate, vitamin B6, and carotenoids, that your immune system needs to stay strong and healthy (16, 17).
Important in forming collagen, a protein that gives structure to bones, cartilage, muscle and blood vessels.
A study in the Journal of Epidemiology (May 1992) suggests a correlation between people who have high blood levels of vitamin C and a longer life, compared to those who have lower blood levels3.
An eight-ounce glass of 100 percent grapefruit juice contains 72 milligrams of vitamin C, more than a full day's supply!
Potassium
What does potassium do?
It's important for maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance in cells. It also assists in sending nerve impulses, helps muscles contract, and releases energy from protein, fat and carbohydrates during metabolism.
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 stroke4.
Since blood volume expands by up to 50 percent during pregnancy, expecting mothers need more electrolytes (potassium, sodium and chloride) to keep the extra fluid in balance5.
One 8-ounce glass of grapefruit juice provides 380 milligrams of potassium, 11 percent of the Daily Value.
Thiamin
What does thiamin do?
Thiamin helps convert food into energy the body can use and is needed by all cells and tissues.
According to a recent USDA survey, the average intake of thiamin by women 19 to 50 years of age is slightly below the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 1.5 mg.
An 8-ounce glass of grapefruit juice provides 6 percent of the Daily Value for thiamin.
Calcium
What does calcium do?
Calcium aids in bone and tooth development, blood pressure regulation and muscle function.
According to recent USDA surveys, average calcium intakes for young women and men are below recommended amounts. The average calcium intake by women 20 to 29 years of age is about 778 milligrams per day, and the average calcium intake by men 20 to 29 years of age is 1075 milligrams6.
Approximately 25 percent of women over the age of 50 years suffer from osteoporosis caused by not consuming enough calcium and other bone-healthy nutrients on a daily basis7.
One in four Americans (about 50 million adults) has high blood pressure8. Research has shown that increasing calcium in your diet can help support healthy blood pressure.
Calcium is very important to both mother and baby. Calcium from the mother's body is used by the developing baby, putting increased demands on the mother's supply. Additional calcium should be consumed for both the mother's and fetus health9.
Calcium-fortified grapefruit juice is an excellent non-dairy source of calcium that is lactose free.
Carotenoids
What do carotenoids do?
Carotenoids give fruits and vegetables their unique and vibrant colors. They also act as powerful antioxidants against free radicals that can damage cells, DNA, and proteins.
Pink and Ruby Red grapefruit juice contain lycopene, a carotenoid that has been associated with decreasing the risk of ovarian cancer and other forms of cancer such as prostate cancer. As an antioxidant, lycopene also has been linked to helping prevent heart disease, the number one killer of women today.
Phytonutrients
What do phytonutrients do?
Scientists believe these plant-derived components are intimately involved in fighting cellular damage, a common pathway for cancer, aging and a variety of diseases.
Unlike traditional nutrients (protein, fat, vitamins, minerals), phytonutrients are so "new," the recommended daily amounts considered "essential" for health have not yet been determined. However, the importance of phytonutrients is steadily becoming apparent as research uncovers more benefits, such as enabling nutrients to work more efficiently10.
Grapefruit juice naturally contains more than 150 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 disease11.
Magnesium
What does magnesium do?
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 levels12.
Magnesium may help regulate blood pressure and contribute to bone health.
Vascular tone can be sensitive to magnesium intake and low intake could have underlying negative effects on blood pressure that could contribute to an increased risk for cardiovascular disease.
Magnesium works hand-in-hand with calcium and phosphorus in maintaining bone health.
An 8-ounce glass of grapefruit juice provides 6 percent of the Daily Value for magnesium.
Folate
What does folate do?
Folate is essential for growth and development. It plays a key role in DNA formation and cell division, helps guard against one form of anemia, and can help reduce the risk of birth defects of the brain and spinal cord, known as "neural tube defects".
To help reduce their risk of someday having a baby with a neural tube defect, women need to get plenty of folate every day (400 micrograms), even if they aren't actively planning a pregnancy.
Women's folate needs increase by a third during pregnancy to help maintain a healthy pregnancy13.
Folate significantly modifies homocysteine levels in the body. Homocysteine, an amino acid in the blood, is related to coronary heart disease and cognitive impairment, when high levels exist.
According to recent studies by Tufts nutrition experts, low levels of folate have been linked with low energy levels, depression and even memory loss15.
An 8-ounce glass of grapefruit juice provides 6 percent of the recommended 400 micrograms of folate each day.
Niacin
What does niacin do?
Niacin helps metabolize the food you eat into energy your body can use. Niacin also is used for DNA repair and helps the body use calcium.
For pregnant women, niacin requirements increase almost 30% to keep up with higher energy demands during pregnancy.
An 8-ounce glass of grapefruit juice provides 2 percent of the Daily Value for niacin.
Vitamin B6
What does vitamin B6 do?
Vitamin B6 helps the body process protein and carbohydrates in food and helps produce hemoglobin, a part of red blood cells that carries oxygen to all parts of the body. Vitamin B6 also works in conjunction with folate to metabolize homocysteine.
Higher homocysteine concentrations have been identified as a risk factor for heart disease. Vitamin B6 helps the body convert homocysteine to cysteine and lower the amount of homocysteine in the blood.
An 8-ounce glass of grapefruit juice provides 4 percent of the Daily Value for vitamin B6.
References
Block G. Vitamin C and cancer prevention: the epidemiologic evidence. Am J ClinNutr1991Supplement; 53:270S-282S.).
Ogle A. Before Your Pregnancy. New York, NY. The Random House Publishing Group; 247.
Improving your overall health is as easy and flavorful as the selection of foods on your plate. The popularity of superfoods is on the rise due to the exceptional health and wellness benefits they provide. Superfoods contain a substantial number of nutrients compared to their total calories. Pairing them in recipes is one of the easiest and most delicious ways to support long-term wellness.
Grapefruit are loaded with vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid). 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.
Acts as a scavenger to harmful elements in your body.