Tag Archives: Grapefruit juice

05 Apr

Best Grapefruits For Grapefruit Juice And How To Choose Them

Grapefruit juice is refreshing, tart and balanced with the perfect amount of natural sweetness. This delicious juice can have a complex and robust taste but should never be bitter or overly sour. The following guide to the best grapefruits for juicing can help you create a well-balanced and tasty juice at home.

Pink Grapefruits

The two types of pink grapefruits are known for their bright color and mild but balanced flavor. Thompsons are one of the best grapefruits for juicing because they are seedless and less bitter than other varieties. Foster Pink Flesh grapefruits are less suited for juicing because they have a higher concentration of seeds than other varieties.

White Grapefruits

One of the best grapefruits for juicing, the White Marsh is nearly seedless and extraordinarily juicy. The richly flavored fruit is the perfect balance of tangy and sweet, resulting in a complex and delicious juice.

best grapefruits for juicing

Red Grapefruits

The Ruby Red grapefruit is one of the world’s most popular varieties due to its seedless interior and vibrant color. The fruits are less suitable for predictable juicing because they range in flavor from sweet to slightly bitter or tart. Star Ruby grapefruits are sweeter than the Ruby Red variety but are also more firm, making them more difficult to juice.

From the Grocer to the Juicer

Selecting the proper grapefruit is the most important part of producing a refreshing and delicious juice. Never choose a fruit that is completely yellow. Look for a fruit that has a bit of reddish blush on the skin.

Pick up the grapefruit and observe how it feels. The skin should be firm and smooth. Choose grapefruits that feel heavy, as they will yield more juice. Heavier fruits also tend to be a bit sweeter as well.

Imperfections on the skin may indicate internal problems as well. Avoid selecting grapefruits that have brown bumps or bruises on the skin. These imperfections often show the age of the grapefruit. Older fruits will result in a bitter and unappealing juice.

For best results, purchase grapefruits in season. Generally, the grapefruits are at their best during the winter months. Fruits purchased during the rest of the year may have been transported from farther distances. These fruits tend to have a shorter shelf-life and must be put in the juicer right away to yield a fresh taste.

Keep your grapefruits at room temperature before placing them in the juicer. Before juicing, slice the fruit into quarters and remove the skin. If seeds are present, remove as many as possible before juicing.

30 Mar

Grapefruit Juice Side Effects – What Happens If You Drink Too Much?

Grapefruit is such a powerful natural nutrient that it can actually act as a drug in the body. Both juice and the fruit itself can significantly slow down the body’s ability to metabolize many drugs. Drugs that usually conflict with grapefruit require metabolizing by the same enzyme in the body, called CYP3A4.

Prescription Drugs

There is a long list of prescription drugs that interact with grapefruit. Researchers are constantly finding more drugs to add to the grapefruit juice side effects precaution list. The most notable grapefruit juice side effects are with statins, which are cholesterol lowering drugs. Other common drugs with potential serious side effects are antidepressants, antibiotics, antihistamines, antifungals, and cancer fighting drugs. Always ask your doctor how grapefruit interacts with your medication. They may suggest that you stop drinking grapefruit entirely or adjust the dosage of the drug to better suit how it interacts with grapefruit.

Pheromones

Pheromones are also managed by the CYP3A4 enzyme. Grapefruit juice can contribute to increased amounts of testosterone and estrogen in the body. One needs to take precaution when taking any kind of supplement or medication that increases hormones, such as birth control. Exceptionally higher levels of hormones can be linked with a number of cancers and blood clots.

grapefruit juice side effects

Food High in Fiber

Grapefruit juice can go down easy and quickly for a grapefruit aficionado. You may want to go easy though. Grapefruit is packed with fiber. Drinking large quantities can lead to feeling uncomfortably full and bloated. Be careful not to drink too much grapefruit with other high fiber foods such as rolled oats.

Grapefruit Juice Side Effects As A Result Of Acidity and Sugar

Grapefruit is higher in citric acid compared to other types of citrus. If too much is consumed in one sitting, it can play havoc on the stomach and gastroesophageal flap, which is responsible for heartburn and acid reflux. Someone prone to these symptoms should consume smaller portions of grapefruit at a time. The acidity may also cause tooth decay in some individuals. Grapefruit juice products can also have large amounts of added sugars depending on the product and brand. Always read the label to be aware of how much sugar and calories are in a serving.

Play it safe and monitor your own situation

Pharmacists and doctors tend not to be as attuned to what your diet may be outside of your prescribed drug regimen. It is your responsibility to bring it to their attention. As little as eight ounces can make an impact in drug toxicity. Be astute to any sensitivity that may occur.

15 Feb

15 Health Benefits of Grapefruit Juice

Grapefruit is naturally high in vitamin C, vitamin A, lycopene, pectin, limonoids, and also contains many other health boosting nutrients in varying amounts and the consequence of all this nutrients are the numerous health benefits of grapefruit juice. You are what you eat. Like with any nutrient dense natural food, consuming grapefruit will be far more beneficial to your health than the high fat, high salt, and empty calories of so many staples of the American diet. The evidence that this fruit can also help prevent or even improve a number of serious health issues is well documented in numerous formal studies. Below is a list of many of the health issues it is known to have a positive impact on, accompanied by a brief description.

Grapefruit

A List Of Health Benefits Of Grapefruit Juice

Appetite control

Pectin and other nutrients in grapefruit help you feel full and satisfied. This can help you resist the temptation to snack on unhealthy junk food and thus help you stick to a generally healthier diet.

Hydration

The high water content combined with pectin and other nutrients helps keep you adequately hydrated. This also aids in appetite control since many people mistake thirst for hunger and then eat when they really need to just drink something.

Helps reduce fatigue

Many people find it helps combat a feeling of fatigue. This is most likely due at least in part to keeping you hydrated and also in part due to the fact it is a generally nutrient dense food. The general recommendation is to drink a mix of grapefruit and lemon juice just before bedtime.

Weight loss

In part because it helps control appetite and helps keep you hydrated, grapefruit is well known to aid in weight loss. It is also low in calories.

Stabilizes blood sugar levels

Pectin helps stabilize blood sugar. This is beneficial for anyone with any blood sugar disorder, including diabetes, cystic fibrosis related diabetes (CFRD), and functional hypoglycemia.

Liver tonic

It is known to help cleanse the liver, which can help the body cope more effectively with recovery from medication withdrawal, metal poisoning, and any other issue that puts stress on the liver.

Protects against prostate cancer

Numerous sources cite the benefits of naringenin in helping reduce the risk of prostate cancer. This substance is known to help the body repair damaged DNA, which is an important factor in this particular form of cancer. The high lycopene content is another reason it helps protect the body against developing prostate cancer.

Protects against colon cancer

The high levels of vitamin C are particularly helpful in reducing the risk of getting colon cancer.

Protects against other cancers generally

Grapefruit is rich in antioxidants which combat free radicals in the body, thus reducing the risk of developing cancers of all kinds.

Grapefruit helps protect against the flu and other viral infections

Grapefruit helps correct the PH balance of the body. Viral infections do not thrive in a body that has the correct PH value. Thus it helps protect against and kill off viral infections, including the flu and the common cold.

Helps protect against high cholesterol levels

It helps reduce blood levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and thus slows the progression of atherosclerosis.

Helps prevent gallstones and kidney stones

A study in the “British Journal of Nutrition” found that grapefruit helps reduce the risk of forming calcium oxalate stones.

Helps alleviate the symptoms of various inflammatory disorders, some of which are quite debilitating conditions

This fruit has anti-inflammatory properties which helps relieve the symptoms of inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. It’s positive impact on PH balance is one of the reasons it works as an anti-inflammatory.

Relieves arthritis

Helps the body remove inorganic calcium which can accumulate in the joints. This is a factor in arthritis. Arthritis is also an inflammatory condition, thus it also benefits from the various anti-inflammatory properties of this fruit.

Helps alleviate fever

It is helpful in bringing down fever and making you more comfortable during a fever, possibly due to improved hydration.

Health benefits of grapefruit juice

These were fifteen most common and well known health benefits of grapefruit juice. Since this juice is really easy to make and since grapefruits are easily obtainable there is no reason why you don’t make yourself a glass of fresh homemade grapefruit juice every once in a while.