I have been on a grapefruit kick lately and I am diggin’ it 😀 This morning while I was inspecting my fridge to see what I had around to juice I already knew I was going to have grapefruits in my juice haha. Besides being in love with them lately I also just read an article on Joyful Belly all about the health benefits of them.

A few main finds really grabbed my attention that I would like to share with you. I typically hear of people doing on “diets” where they have to eat a grapefruit a day for weight loss. But I never actually understood how this works.

According to Joyful Belly’s article,

“Scientists have hypothesized that grapefruit reduces insulin levels, encouraging fat loss.”

 “The bitter and sour tastes in the grapefruit stimulate the flow of bile, diluting and flushing it out into the small intestine. Drainage of bile cleans the liver of congestion. The removal of bile from the liver, due to its oiliness, also lowers cholesterol levels in the blood.”

❤

Besides being cleansing and metabolism boosting grapefruit is high in…

Vitamin C, great for a large range of benefits from beating the cold to aiding with asthma and rheumatoid arthritis.

Lycopene, which is only found in pink and red grapefruit so white grapefruits do not provide this carotenoid. Lycopene may reduce men’s risks of developing prostate cancer.

Grapefruit juice has been ranked one of the highest antioxidant active foods (Concord Grapes are #1).

Phytonutrients in grapefruits called limonoids block tumor formation by forming a detoxifying enzyme. This enzyme causes a reaction in the liver that helps to make toxic compounds more water-soluble for excretion from the body. The pulp of citrus fruits like grapefruit contain glucarates, compounds that may help prevent breast cancer. This is why in many of my citrus fruit juice recipes I mention trying to keep as much of the pith (white skin) as possible, there are loads of nutrients even in this section.

Pectin, this is also in apples, a fiber soluble form that in studies has shown results in lowering atherosclerosis (vascular disease).

Prevents formation of kidney stones 🙂

Vitamin A, important for health eyes, growth, reproduction and for our immune system. Sometimes people refer to Vitamin A as retinol. Other foods high in Vitamin A are; broccoli, apricots, collard greens, carrots and cantaloupe.

*Please note that grapefruits do have many negative side effects with prescription medicines.*

❤

I have lots of recipes with grapefruits in them if you are feeling a little inspired now 😀 I hope this post gives you all some ideas for juicing and hopefully I wasn’t the only one who was confused at first as to how exactly do grapefruits aid in weight loss. Have a fun Friday everyone! Much love ❤ and raw power 😉 always big hugs too! xoxo Jess