The grapefruit is originally from China. It is the fruit of a perennial leaf subtropical tree, the result of a genetic mutation, an accidental hybrid of grapefruit and orange. Pomelos are divided into three main categories depending on the color of their pulp, their juice and their skin:
- The white or yellow variety.
- The pink variety.
- The dark red variety.
The most common varieties are red, very pigmented fruits. The color of any variety depends on the ground and the weather and can vary from one year to another. The color of the bark can be very varied. The most typical color is golden yellow. The pulp, dark red, consists of 11-14 segments with fine walls, palmated and somewhat bitter. The fruit is very juicy, bittersweet and with a bitter aftertaste. The seeds are rare in the fruit.
Chemical content of the grapefruit
- Vitamins (A, C, B1, B5, Biotin);
- phytonutrients (limonoids);
- minerals;
- amino acids (phenylalanine, tryptophan)
- Flavonoids (naringenina, hesperidine);
- spermidine, lycopene, etc.
Vitamins and minerals
Representative of a wide group of citrus, contains more than 80 nutrients. It is rich in vitamins of group B. A single fruit can meet the daily needs of vitamin C of the human being, since 100 gr. They already contain 50% of the necessary amount.
| Vitamins | 100 g of grapefruit |
| Vitamin A – Equivalent in retinol | 1 µg |
| Vitamin A – Betacarotene | 8 micrograms |
| Vitamin E – Alf a-Tocoferol | 297 micrograms |
| Vitamin B1 – Tiamine | 48 micrograms |
| Vitamin B2 – Riboflavin | 24 micrograms |
| Vitamin B3 – Niacin, nicotinic acid | 240 micrograms |
| Vitamin B3 – Niacin equivalent | 340 micrograms |
| Vitamin B5 – Pantotenic acid | 250 micrograms |
| Vitamin B6 – Pyridoxine | 28 micrograms |
| Vitamin B7 – Biotin | 1. 28 micrograms |
| Vitamin B9 – Folic acid | 11 micrograms |
| Vitamin C – Ascorbic acid | 45 mg |
| Minerals | 100 g of grapefruit |
| Potassium | 184 mg |
| Calcium | 23 mg of calcium |
| Magnesium | 10 mg of magnesium |
| Sodium | 13 mg of sodium |
| Match | 18 mg of phosphorus |
| Iron | 0. 5 mg of iron |
| Aluminum | 110 mcg |
| Boron | 204 µg |
| Copper | 47 µg |
| Manganese | 0. 012 mg |
Caloric content of the grapefruit
Pomelos are low in calories, since they contain 90% water. 100 g of the edible part of this citrus contain only 36 kcal. The nutritional value of the fruit consists of
- Proteins – 0. 7 g;
- Fats – 0. 2 g;
- Carbohydrates – 6. 5 g;
- Cellulose – 1. 8 g;
- Organic acids – 1. 5 g;
- Water – 88. 8 g.
Energy value – 183 kj.
Grapefruit properties
Among the properties of grapefruit include its stimulating, astringent, cleaners, antiseptic, tonic, antiviral and antifungal effects. It helps reduce cholesterol levels, stimulates metabolism, favors a healthy complexion, increases energy and helps lose weight. This aromatic fruit is one of those products that give beauty from within.
Secondary vegetable compounds lycopene (a vegetable pigment), natingin (a bitter substance) and begamotine (a natural aromatizing) complete the vital substance cocktail of the grapefruit. The lycopene is the pigment responsible for the red color of the fruit. Decomposes fats and has antioxidant properties.
The naringenina gives it a bitter taste. Most of the niningenine is found in the white part of the cortex, called Albedo. Studies have shown that naringenina favors weight loss. It also reduces sugar levels and blood lipids.
Benefits
The simple consumption of this citrus can report true benefits for the body.
- Pomelo reinforces the immune system thanks to vitamin C, bet a-carotene, lycopene and flavonoids.
- The powerful combination of fiber, potassium, lycopene, vitamin C and hill helps maintain a healthy heart.
- The consumption of grapefruit juice reduces the risk of renal calculations of calcium oxalate.
- The grapefruit contains pectin, a form of soluble fiber. It has been demonstrated in animal studies that slows the progression of atherosclerosis.
- Regular grapefruit consumption is a good prevention of prostate cancer. The lycopene, which accumulates in the epithelial cells of the prostate, reduces the growth of existing cancer cells and causes their death.
- The consumption of grapefruit juice improves insulin sensitivity (a sensitivity reduced to insulin can be an imminent diabetes sign), has a positive effect on blood sugar levels and can prevent diabetes.
- Thanks to its high pectin content, it reduces the risk of coronary heart disease.
- The grapefruit contains salicylic acid. This helps break down inorganic calcium, which accumulates in the cartilage of the joints and causes arthritis.
- The fruit contains a compound called spermidine. Studies have shown that when spermidine is added to the mice diet, the cell aging process slows down.
- Combined with caffeine (a tablespoon of juice per cup of coffee) becomes an excellent analgesic. Be careful, since grapefruit increases the effects of caffeine on the body.
How interesting!”You can lose weight without even eating grapefruit,” say researchers at the University of Osaka (Japan). They discovered that after exposing rats to the smell of grapefruit oil, their appetite and its weight decreased.
Damages and possible contraindications
Excessive grapefruit consumption can cause diarrhea and stomach discomfort, and acidic juice can have a detrimental effect on dental enamel.
Contraindications include:
- sensitive stomach;
- allergies
But its greatest danger is considered its incompatibility with certain medications. When a person takes a certain drug, the organism tries to get rid of it as a strange substance with the help of enzymes that break or unite the drug molecule, facilitating its elimination from the body.
The chemical components of the grapefruit inhibit the action of the enzyme that breaks down the drug. Its natural ability to block this enzyme can make more active ingredients in the body than one would expect with a certain dose. A tablet would be equivalent to four if Pomelo was ate. This fruit effect extends to the following medications
- medications to treat cancer;
- medications to treat infections;
- medications to treat heart and vascular diseases
- Drugs that affect the central nervous system
- medications with immunomodulatory effect.
It is better to exclude diet grapefruit during treatment with these medications.
The main consumption standards
It is difficult to like grapefruit for its bitter taste. However, its large amount of beneficial nutrients makes it an essential element of our diet. It can be consumed like any other fresh fruit. Bitterness can be neutralized with sugar or salt. These citrus fruits are good in salads, such as yogurt or porridge toping.
Interesting. The kitchen of some countries practices the use of grapefruit with salt. According to the geneticist and biologist Paul Breslin, salt increases the ability to perceive the sweet taste, while the ability to perceive the bitter taste is stuffed.
How to peel and cut a grapefruit
- Wash the fruit.
- Cut the ends (upper and lower) the right thing to expose the fruit pulp.
- Start cutting the bark by moving the knife from top to bottom. The goal is to completely eliminate the white and bitter part of the peel, cutting the pulp as little as possible.
- Now you can separate the slices. Move the knife from the outer edge to the center of the fruit along the white membranes between the slices. Make this cut on either side of the first slice to release it. The process will be easier from here and will suffice with a cut to release the following slice. In the end you will get beautiful red slices.
- Cut the fruit washed in circles or slices, like a watermelon, without peeling it.
- Cut the grapefruit in half in two halves, sprinkle the pulp of each half with sugar, then take it out and eliminate it with a special tip spoon.
Can you eat grapefruit before bedtime and with an empty stomach?
If you have no gastrointestinal problems due to chronic diseases, eat grapefruit before bedtime or with an empty stomach you will only benefit. The grapefruit, if consumed before bedtime, can favor a healthy dream. After all, it contains Tryptophan, an essential amino acid that relieves stress and eliminates insomnia.
In addition, it can help relieve night hunger. If they eat a few lobes before bedtime, you can sleep deeply and not feel the need to eat until in the morning. The grapefruit ingested with an empty stomach starts the metabolic processes and relieves gastrointestinal discomfort throughout the day. Those who want to lose weight should perform this morning “ritual” every morning: after waking up, drinking a glass of warm water at room temperature and half grapefruit. After 10-15 minutes breakfast.
What combines the grapefruit?
The grapefruit combines well with banana, basil, black pepper, coconut, ginger, melon, mint, pineapple, rosemary, strawberries and thyme. In a Macedonia it is better not to combine grapefruit with other citrus. Its full flavor is revealed when mixed with apples, pears, grapes, berries or bananas.
It combines harmoniously in meat and fish salads and combines well with chicken, veal, prawns and salmon. Spinach leaves, red grapefruit slices, prawns and red onion cut into fine slices can be mixed and cover with Dijon mustard sauce. Pomelus and avocado are a lovely combination.
Chopping any green salad, add sliced avocado, grapefruit slices and something crispy: cucumber or radish. Show with lemon juice or yogurt and sprinkle with cheese.
Special Applications in Popular Medicine
Pomelus has been used for a long time in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine, Ayurveda. Its juice was used to treat ear infections by putting 5 to 7 drops in the affected ear. For the treatment of diabetes, healers recommended eating 2 fruits per day. A glass of grapefruit juice with a pinch of salt was used to treat liver diseases.
For skin diseases, juice was also used as antimicrobial. It was used to spread the affected areas 3-4 times a day. The herbalists believed that the seed extract eliminated the giardia. In traditional Chinese medicine, grapefruit is classified as acidic food. Acid foods are considered astringent and refreshing. Acid flavors are associated with the liver and believe they favor digestion.
Pomelo shell decoction
Pomelo pulp is a rich source of vitamins and antioxidants, but we must not forget the nutritional value of the cortex. The grapefruit and other citrusals such as oranges, lemons and tangerines contain the highest level of pectin of all food and most nutrients are found in the cortex.
Pectin is a prebiotic: it improves intestinal peristalsism. Pectin consumption can reduce blood cholesterol levels, cure diarrhea, constipation and reduce the risk of cancer. Pectin acts as an antidiabetic.
Both fresh and dry shells of citrus fruits can be used to prepare a decoction. Pour 3 tablespoons of shell into 2 cups of cold water (400 ml), put on the fire. Bring to boil, cook over low heat for 10 minutes and turn off. Let cool and strain. Drink throughout the day. A decoction of this type eliminates the toxins of the organism.
Alcoholic seed and grapefruit tincture
Pomelo seed and peels tincture, unlike other citrus, contains a special bitterness. These bitterness are the best natural antibiotics. Citrus peels also contain hesperidine, a flavonoid that prevents cancer cells from multiplying.
You will need pepitas and grapefruits to make the tincture. A tincture made with dry shells will be more concentrated: you will need more dry shells than fresh to fill a container. Fill the jar with fresh shells and 3/4 parts with dry shells. Pour the content of the jar with vodka, cover it and leave it in a dark place for 10 days.
When time has passed, strain the liquid. The dose is 2 teaspoons per day to improve digestion, for insomnia, to reinforce the immune system. Tincture can also be applied externally to treat skin problems: acne, redness, shallow wounds.
Important: alcoho l-based tincture is contraindicated for people who take medications, patients with chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, diabetes, depression prone and allergic alcohol.
Pomelo shell tea
Anyone who cannot drink alcohol can enjoy a tea with a grapefruit. It is easy to prepare, it reduces cholesterol, calms nerves, has diuretic, reconstituted properties and many other benefits.
- Half grapefruit zest;
- ground cinnamon or cinnamon in branch;
- honey to taste;
- 200 ml of boiling water.
Place the ingredients into a bowl and pour boiling water on them. Let stand 5 to 7 minutes. Sweetener with honey if you wish.
How to choose and conserve grapefruit?
Look for round, smooth and heavy fruits for their size, since they are the most juicy. You have to give preference to bright fruits with slightly crushed extremes. The most rough, rough, soft or with the pointed ends are usually of worse quality. It is better to avoid fruit with spots and other skin defects.
You can buy fruit safely with the green cortex. The color does not indicate the maturity or the taste of the grapefruit. Citrus fruits can be kept at room temperature for a week, which makes them more juicy. To conserve them for a longer time, you have to put them in the refrigerator, where they can be kept between six and eight weeks.
What grapefruit is healthier: white or red?
The biggest difference between white and red grapefruit is vitamin A. The red variety has significantly higher levels of vitamin A than white. The red variety has significantly higher levels of this nutrient: 28% compared to 1% of the daily needs. All grapefruit varieties are rich in vitamin C, and there is very little difference in the content of this nutrient between the red and white varieties.
The content of sugar, fiber, potassium and total calories of red and white fruits is more or less comparable. The red grapefruit is remarkably sweeter than white, despite having approximately the same amount of sugar. White fruits do not contain lycopene, so their antioxidant properties are lower than those of red pulp fruits.
To experience the real benefits of the Pomelos, you have to consume them regularly. The habit of eating some slices of grapefruit before meals can help reduce the effects of “heavy” and fatty foods and avoid eating in excess.
