A February Fruit!

A February Fruit

Perhaps you have heard of the grapefruit diet or enjoy a glass of grapefruit juice in the morning? Regardless of the reason, grapefruit deserves the attention!! February is national grapefruit month, and this fruit is definitely one worthy of your refrigerator. Although I don’t recommend the grapefruit diet, it did originate from the fact that grapefruit contains compounds that can help improve weight loss, coining grapefruit in some circles “a natural fat burner”.

One grapefruit can have up to 100% of your daily needs for vitamin C, a vitamin that plays a major role in immune support and anti-aging. Considering that February is a cold month and often a time of flu's and colds, eating grapefruit can have a strong effect on immune response, thus reducing incidence and duration of colds and flu’s. Additionally, vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant which are the front line against destruction from aging.

Furthermore, valentines day isn’t the only reason for hearts everywhere in February. Grapefruit gives us another reason to celebrate the heart in February. Grapefruit is a heart healthy fruit, reducing incidence of heart disease in some studies due to its abundance of vitamins and nutrients as well as high fiber content! One of the most beneficial parts of the grapefruit is called pectin. Pectin is a soluble fiber that may reduce the ability of plaque to form on artery walls (a process known as atherosclerosis) which leads to cardiovascular disease, making grapefruit a heart healthy food!!

Grapefruit contains specific compounds that may have an effect on the potency of certain prescription medications. If you are taking prescription medications check with your pharmacist or doctor to see if grapefruit should be avoided. Not all medications interact with grapefruit however, so rather than just taking it out of your diet, check first to see if any medications you take interact with this fantastic fruit!