Grapefruit Nutrition Fact

varieties are high in beta carotene, a precursor of Vitamin A.

Grapefruits are especially high in pectin, a soluble fiber that helps lower blood cholesterol. Grapefruit also contain bioflavonoids and other plant chemicals that protect against cancer and heart disease. Grapefruits are also a good food to include in a sensible weight-loss diet because it has less than 100 calories, and its high-fiber content satisfies hunger. Always take grapefruit as your first course to help prevent overeating. It's also an ideal snack food.

PRECAUTION: Grapefruit juice can interact with a number of medications, potentially causing serious side effects. Flavonoids and/or furanocoumarin compounds in grapefruit juice will block the enzyme in the intestines from naturally breakdown and absorption of many medications. When this happens, blood levels of these medications increase and will lead to potentially toxic side effects.

Many drugs appear to be affected by grapefruit juice so if you are taking any medication, it’s essential to check whether you can safely consume grapefruit juice.

A study from a 2006 issue of the ‘Journal of Medicinal Food' showed that people who ate half a grapefruit before each meal for 12 weeks lost 3.6 pounds. Likewise, people who drank a serving of grapefruit juice three times a day lost 3.3 pounds. Yet in this study, individuals ate healthy, balanced diets and could exercise up to three times a week even with a grapefruit juice diet.

Researchers think that the grapefruit assists in the management of insulin levels. After the study was complete, individuals taking grapefruit had lower levels of insulin and blood sugar than beginning of the grapefruit juice diet. The levels of insulin remained unchanged for those who didn't included grapefruit in their juice diet.

Lower levels of insulin may promote weight loss because with high levels of insulin, sugar is more likely to be stored as fat, thus prevent the body from breaking down fat. Also, high levels of insulin will make people feel hungry so that they eat more as a result.

The popular pink or red grapefruit are Ruby, Star Ruby, Rio Red and Marsh

Grapefruit Juice Diet - Red Grapefruit

Ruby. The family of flavors range from highly acidic and somewhat bitter to sweet and tart.

Pink and Ruby Red grapefruit contain high amount oflycopene, that helps with preventing some cancers such as ovarian cancer and prostate cancer. As an antioxidant, lycopene also helps in preventing heart disease. Lycopene works in coordination with

Grapefruit Juice Diet - White Grapefruit

polyunsaturated fats. Though all fruit carries some amount of lycopene, grapefruit has the highest concentration among the citrus fruit.

Grapefruit is also high in Vitamin C, thus helps in preventing the illness scurvy – the result of inadequate amount of Vitamin C, and allows the body to more easily heal its

Grapefruit Juice Diet - White Grapefruit

wounds. Grapefruit also improves the body's ability to absorb iron; this is especially helpful for the elderly whose diet may require the ingestion of iron supplements.

A grapefruit juice diet does has many benefits.

Grapefruit Juice Diet or The Grapefruit Diet
Grapefruit Juice Diet the Grapefruit Diet plan revolves around eating half a grapefruit or

Grapefruit Juice Diet

drinking an 8-ozs glass of unsweetened grapefruit juice before each meal. Coffee and tea are also permitted in this diet.

Foods that are permitted during the grapefruit diet are:
Red onions, bell peppers, radishes, broccoli, cucumbers, carrots, green onions, leaf spinach, cabbage, tomatoes, green beans, lettuce, chili (no beans), mayonnaise, any cheese, hot dogs, coleslaws, regular salad dressing, green vegetables, 1 tsp dried nuts and butter pickles.

Foods that are not permitted during the grapefruit diet are:
White onions, potatoes, celery, peas, cereal, corn, starchy vegetables, potato chips, peanut butter, pasta, corn chips, jelly or jam, sweet pickles, pretzels, fruit and low-fat/fat free/diet salad dressings.

Grapefruit juice diet are known to assure a loss of 10 pounds in 12 days with no hunger. Furthermore, the grapefruit diet allows 3 meals per day with a bedtime snack. It is only intended as a jumpstart for the dieter who are serious about loosing weight.

CAUTION: The Grapefruit Juice Diet allows no more than 800 calories a day. Therefore, it is a very strict diet plan for instant weight loss, BUT NOT a healthy diet in the long run. Your body is going to miss out some important nutrients that are not included in the grapefruit diet. A balanced diet should consist of  4 food groups. With the the grapefruit juice diet plan, it is cutting out a couple of the critical food groups.