Summer is almost here and that means sunshine, beaches, and summer fruit.  In early spring grapefruits usually have their best harvest.  This fruit is tart and tangy with a hint of sweetness and even rivals the ever popular orange for juiciness.  Years ago there was a book titled, “The Grapefruit Diet”, and many articles have been written about the health benefits of this amazing fruit.  So here are the facts about grapefruit.
Grapefruit is rich in vitamin c, which has been shown to support the immune system.  Vitamin C may help by reducing the symptoms of the common cold as well as preventing free radical damage that catalyses the inflammatory conditions such as asthma and rheumatoid arthritis.  There is even research that supports consuming fruits high in vitamin c, such as grapefruit is associated with a reduced risk of dying from heart disease, stroke , and cancer.
Lycopene a carotenoid phytonutrient shown to have anti-tumor activity is what gives grapefruit its rich red and pink colors.  According to a study published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition eating lycopene rich foods can greatly reduce a man’s risk of developing prostate cancer.  According to the KAME study conducted by Dr. Alan Crozier showed that grapefruit juice was ranked as one of the highest juices in antioxidant activity.  Grapefruits also contain tumor inhibiting enzymes called limonoids.  These enzymes allow the liver to make toxic chemicals more water soluble so that they may be more easily excreted from the body.  Limonoids in animal studies and human cell lab tests have shown to help fight cancers of the mouth, lung, skin, breast, colon, and stomach.
Pectin can also be found in grapefruit which is a soluble fiber and has been shown in animal studies to slow down atherosclerosis.  Both white and red grapefruit can lower the blood levels of LDL cholesterol, and red lowers triglycerides also.  There is a risk with prescription drugs including statins where muscle toxicity may increase.  See your physician before consuming grapefruit if your using any of the statin or like drugs.

One of the most important factors in shedding excess body fat is heavily relied on by the liver.  Everything is passed through the liver including all of the chemicals and toxins that it must clear out.  SInce grapefruit  boosts liver enzymes, this process becomes more efficient and the liver is able to get rid of these toxins quicker.  Grapefruit also shares the same fat burning properties as green tea.

There you have it the skinny on grapefruits, so enjoy some raw or in juice form and toast yourself to good health.