Grapefruit Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits

Grapefruit is a tropical citrus fruit that is both low in calories and packed with nutrients.

It contains a combination of sweet, sour, and citrus bitter flavors and can be found in pink, orange, or yellow colors.

Besides being an excellent source of antioxidants, grapefruit is also loaded with beneficial nutrients. It is mainly composed of water.

Fluoride and vitamins A and C are abundant in this fruit. Those elements are what give grapefruit its immune-boosting and inflammation-calming properties.

Also, it is among the fruits beneficial to eye health.

Grapefruit has been shown to help with weight loss in a number of different ways, in addition to lowering insulin resistance and decreasing the likelihood of kidney stones.

The most important thing to note is that it is a fruit that interacts with most medications.

Ingesting grapefruit can put you in a dangerous position if you take medication regularly, as it can alter the way a medication is absorbed and increase the risk of adverse reactions.

Grapefruit Quick Nutrition Facts

Here's a quick nutrition overview for 3.5 ounces (100 grams) of grapefruit:

• Energy: 32 calories
• Carbs: 8.08 grams
• Sugar: 6.98 grams
• Fiber: 1.1 grams
• Protein: 0.63 grams
• Fat: 0.1 grams
• Saturated Fat: 0.014 grams

Jump to a section where you can learn more about grapefruit nutrition value, including macronutrients, vitamins, minerals, protein quality, and more.

Health Benefits of Grapefruit

Thanks to a significant amount of specific vitamins and minerals, grapefruit could provide several health benefits.

Continue reading to discover the potential benefits of consuming grapefruit.

May Reduce a Cancer Risk

Vitamin A, also called retinol, acts as an antioxidant and protects the vital organs against damage by free radicals, thus reducing the risk of cancer.

It also plays a key role in supporting the body’s natural defense mechanisms against infections. It primarily works by activating the functions of the immune system.

Vitamin A is also needed for improving vision. The deficiency of this nutrient can result in problems with eyesight, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and night blindness.

Moreover, vitamin A can also help us see in dim light.

Vitamin A can help maintain the health and structural integrity of the skin and the mucosal lining of some body organs, especially the nose.

It can help to reduce or delay the appearance of the signs of aging on the skin, such as wrinkles and fine lines, allowing you to look younger.

It also promotes growth and performs functions related to reproduction.

May Help in the Healing of Wounds

Vitamin C can help in the healing of wounds.

The deficiency of this nutrient can prevent the efficient healing of the damaged tissues, due to which the patient may suffer from chronic inflammatory damage that can lead to cancerous changes.

Vitamin C is also essential for several critical metabolic processes occurring in the body. It also supports the formation of collagen in the skin and other tissues.

Collagen is a protein that forms the basic structural network of several organs in the body. The primary role of collagen is to strengthen the bones, skin, and blood vessels, thus maintaining the structural integrity of these tissues.

It can reduce or slow down the age-related degenerative changes occurring in these tissues.

It can act as an antioxidant. It regulates the metabolism of oxygen in the body and reduces the release of molecular compounds known as free radicals, which can otherwise damage the cell membranes.

It can also support the process of iron absorption and play a role in infection-fighting by stimulating the activities of immune cells like lymphocytes.

Vitamin C is also needed for the production of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters.