Grapefruits: Shedding Pounds and Preventing Disease

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The start of National Nutrition Month brings the opportunity to reevaluate our nutrition and health living habits and introduce foods to our diet that not only are low in fat but promote a healthy and vibrant being. Several recently published studies suggest that an excellent food to add is the grapefruit, which reportedly has benefits beyond being a light and healthy snack. Grapefruits have been found to increase weight loss, prevent heart disease, lower cholesterol and may even aid in the prevention of prostate cancer.

A study published in the March 2006 issue of the Journal of Medicinal Foods confirmed suspicions that the grapefruit can promote weight loss. Conducted at the Scripps Clinic in San Diego, the study examined 100 significantly overweight men and women over a 12-week period of time for the benefits of a high grapefruit diet.

Dr. Ken Fujioka, who conducted the experiment, found that individuals who consistently consumed one-half of a grapefruit preceding every meal lost an average of 3.6 pounds of over the 12-week period. Some participants lost as much as ten pounds.

Not only did the participants shed pounds as a result of the diet, but also appeared to have substantially lower levels of insulin in their blood. The amount of insulin in the blood affects the body’s ability to process food. The smaller the amount of insulin, the more apt the body is to turn food to energy instead of fat.

In addition to the benefit of weight loss, a study published in the February 2006 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry reported that one grapefruit per day can significantly reduce cholesterol levels in patients suffering from heart disease.

The study examined 57 patients who had recently undergone heart surgery and exhibited high levels of cholesterol. Researchers found that antioxidants contained in red and white grapefruits both contributed to cholesterol lowering. The red grapefruit was found to be most effective, lowering cholesterol by an average of 15 percent and triglycerides, which are a heart disease causing fat, by an average of 17 percent.

Lastly, the 60-calorie per half fruit was found to aid in the reparation of genetic material in prostate cancer cells.A study conducted at University of California at Los Angeles and the Zhonghan University in China found that the compound narigenin, which is found in grapefruits, might actually help prevent the multiplying of cancer cells. This study was released in the February 2006 issue of the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry.

Grapefruits contain Vitamin C, fiber, Vitamin A, potassium and folate, all of which are beneficial to your health.


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