Outstanding health benefits of grape fruit A series of Presentation By Mr Allah Dad Khan Former D.G. Agriculture & Visiting Professor the University of Agriculture Peshawar allahdad52@gmail.com

4. Grape Fruit (Chakootra)
The health benefits of grapefruits are wide-
ranging and nearly unmatched by any other
fruit. A glass of chilled grapefruit juice,
especially in winter, helps seriously boost your
levels of vitamin C, which gives grapefruits a
high place amongst various citrus fruits. It’s
packed with the benefits derived from various
nutrients and vitamins, including potassium and
lycopene. Along with these, it also
contains calcium, sugar and phosphorous. In
terms of its culinary value, it is considered a
wonderful appetizer, and is regularly included
for breakfast as a refreshing and energizing
start to the day.

6. Grapefruits
Grapefruits are high in fiber and low in calories,
and they contain bioflavonoids and other plant
chemicals that protect against serious diseases
like cancer, heart disease, and the formation of
tumors. Grapefruits increase the body’s
metabolic rate, lower insulin levels and give
you a feeling of fullness and normality. It assists
the human body in fighting various conditions
like
fatigue, fever, malaria, diabetes, constipation,
indigestion, urinary problems,
excess acidity and many more.

8. Grapefruits
There are plenty of major health benefits of
grapefruits, which are also known to be powerful
drug/poison eliminators. It works as a natural
antiseptic for external wounds, and it functions as a
liver tonic. It contains a high water content, which
helps in changing the complexion of the skin and
increasing the body’s metabolic rate. The pulp and
fiber of grapefruits supply healthy bulk to
our food intake, which aids bowel movements and
reduces chances of colon cancer. It also helps to
quench thirst and thus, reduces the burning
sensation that arises during fever. The Asia Pacific
Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that the intake
of grapefruit reduces the risk of
developing prostate cancer

11. Grapefruit and Appetite Loss
Grapefruit works as an excellent
appetite suppressant as
compared to many other
substances and foods. It is said
that smell of the grapefruit
reduces the feeling of hunger,
which is the reason why people
often include grapefruit in their
weight loss programs. The high
amounts of fiber contained in this
fruit can also satisfy hunger and
help people avoid the temptation
to overeat, since it is a bulky
food,
and stimulates cholecystokinin to
be released, a hormone that
regulates digestive juices and
acts as a hunger suppressant.

12. Grapefruit and Influenza:
Grapefruit is a valuable remedy
for influenza, since it helps to
minimize acidity in the system.
The bitter properties arising from
an essence called ‘naringin’ in
grapefruits tones up the system
and the digestive process.
Naringin is also considered a
flavonoid, which are powerful
antioxidant sources in the human
diet. They also have antiviral,
antifungal, antibacterial, anti-
cancer, and anti-inflammatory
qualities, making them one of the
most important lines
of defense in the immune
system, protecting against
influenza as well as many other
serious conditions.

13. Grapefruit and Malaria:
The juice, or the fruit itself,
contains valuable and natural
‘quinine’ which is
advantageous for the
treatment of malaria. Quinine
is an alkaloid with a long
history of treating malaria, as
well as lupus, arthritis, and
nocturnal leg cramps. It is not
an easy component to find in
many foods, so grapefruits
are a beneficial and rare
example. The quinine can be
easily extracted from the fruits
by boiling a quarter of
grapefruit and straining the
pulp.

14. Grapefruit and Fever:
The pulp or the juice of grapefruit
helps patients recover quickly
from fevers, and it reduces the
burning sensation that occurs
when the body reaches a high
temperature. It is also known as
a way to boost the immune
system against colds and other
common illnesses. Grapefruit
juice, when combined with water,
can quench thirst very quickly
and can keep you hydrated
longer. Most of these benefits
come from the high content of
vitamin C in grapefruits, which
acts as a general immune
system defense system and can
help the body fight to break
fevers.

15. Grapefruit and Fatigue
Grapefruits are also beneficial in the
treatment of fatigue, so it can help you
to dispel your general tiredness caused
from routine or boring work. Drinking
equal amounts of grapefruit juice
and lemon juice can be a refreshing
and delicious way to quickly boost your
energy levels. Nootkatone is a very rare
and important compound found within
grapefruits, and is probably its most
valuable component in terms of
extracting as an aromatic
substance. Nootkatone improves
energy metabolism in the body through
AMPK activation. This results in higher
endurance and energy,
increased weight loss, and a reduction
in the the chances of developing
diabetes.

16. Grapefruit and Indigestion:
Grapefruit is useful for solving
the problem of indigestion. It is
very light as compared to other
foods and thus, acts immediately
on indigestion by easing the heat
and irritation caused in the
stomach. It improves the flow of
digestive juices, which eases the
movement of the bowels and
keeps your excretory system
regulated. This is due to the
presence of fiber and vegetative
pulp in grapefruits, that adds bulk
to the bowels and regulates your
excretory schedule, and
grapefruit extract is also often
used in modern medicine for
these same reasons.

17. Grapefruit for Insomnia:
A simple glass of grapefruit
juice, if drunk before going
to bed, can promote
healthy sleep and alleviate
the irritating symptoms and
repercussions of insomnia.
This is due to the presence
of tryptophan in
grapefruits, the chemical
we often associate with
becoming sleepy after big
meals. The levels of
tryptophan in grapefruit
juice lets us nod off
peacefully to sleep.

18. Grapefruit and Diabetes:
Diabetic patients can safely
eat grapefruit, because
consuming grapefruit can
reduce the level of starch in
the body. If a patient is
diabetic, intake of grapefruit
can help them to regulate the
flow of sugar in their body,
effectively handling the
disease. recent studies have
shown this
beneficial relationship betwee
n diabetes and grapefruits to
be due to the flavonoid
content of grapefruits, along
with a number of other
healthy benefits from those
compounds.

19. Grapefruit and Urinary
Disorders:
Grapefruit juice is quite rich in
potassium and vitamin C, so it is
one of the best treatments for
dangerously reduced urination
that is often caused by liver,
kidney or heart problems.
Furthermore, its high potassium
content works as a vasodilator,
meaning that blood vessels and
arteries relax, reducing blood
pressure and lessening the risk
of heart attacks and strokes.
Also, increased levels of
potassium have been associated
with higher cognitive function
because of increased blood and
oxygen flow to the brain!

20. Grapefruit and Acidity
Fresh grapefruit juice
creates an alkaline
reaction after digestion.
The citric acid of the fruit
is contained in the human
body and thus, increases
the effect of the alkalinity
reaction after digestion.
The juice extracted from
the grapefruit is beneficial
in preventing acid
formation and many other
diseases that arise due to
the presence of excess
acidity in the body.

21. Grapefruit for Constipation:
A glass full of freshly
squeezed grapefruit juice
in the morning is a great
remedy to control
constipation. The juice
stimulates the colon and
other parts of the body
relating to the digestive
system. This is due to the
stimulating effect of fiber
on the secretion and
stimulation of gastric juices
that ease the constriction
of the digestive tract and
induce a bowel movement.

22. Grapefruit for Flatulence:
10 to 20 drops of grapefruit
juice, taken before all three
meals of the day, can work
as an appropriate pro-
biotic and digestive
enzyme,
and will relieve excess flatu
lence and stomach
discomfort. Further
research needs to be done
on the exact mechanism
behind this phenomenon,
but again, people believe it
relates to flavonoid content
in citrus fruits like
grapefruits.

23. Grapefruit For Arthritis:
Grapefruit contains
salicylic acid that helps
to break down the
body’s calcium which
builds up the cartilage
of joint paints which
may lead to arthritis.
Drink grapefruit juice
along with apple cider
vinegar for best results.

24. Grapefruit For Infections
The flavonoid content in
grapefruits help the body to
fight off infections and keep
the body safe from illness
and diseases. Eating a
grapefruit every day or
drinking grapefruit juice
daily provides immunity
against cardiovascular
diseases. The flavonoid
and vitamin C and minerals
present in grapefruit makes
it a disease busting
powerhouse that tastes
great too.

25. Grapefruit As Liver Cleanser
Grapefruit contains a
number of liver
detoxifying and cleansing
agents, among them are
various antioxidants and
phyto nutrients called
limonoids that help to
excrete toxic from the
liver by making them
more water soluble. As
mentioned earlier,
grapefruit also contains
naringenin which causes
the liver to burn fat rather
than store it

26. Grapefruit For Gum bleeding :
Eating two
grapefruits a day
help to reduce gum
bleeding. Grapefruits
also increase plasma
vitamin C levels and
help to manage
periodontal disease.

27. Grapefruit For Respiratory Problems:
Vitamin C has been proven
in numerous studies to
lessen respiratory issues
and prevent asthma.
Vitamin C rich foods also
reduces wheezing
symptoms in children and
aids in treating asthma,
chronic cough, shortness
of breath and even runny
nose. The presence of
several vitamin and
minerals in grapefruit also
helps to boost immunity
and lessens the duration of
cold.

28. Grapefruit For Kidney stones:
People who drink 1
litre of grapefruit juice
daily reduce their risk
of developing kidney
stones. Because of the
high content of Vitamin
C, the juice helps to
increase urinary pH
and hasten the rate at
which citric acid is
secreted. This reduces
the risk of calcium
stones forming.

29. Grapefruit can help lower "bad"
cholesterol
A grapefruit a day may help
lower "bad" LDL cholesterol
levels by as much as 15.5%,
according to a 2006 study in
the Journal of Agricultural and
Food Chemistry. In the study,
researchers looked at 57 patients
ages 39 to 72 who had high
cholesterol and had undergone
bypass surgery for heart trouble.
For one month, some ate a
grapefruit daily (either red or
white) while others, the control
group, did not. Grapefruit eaters,
particularly those eating red, had
a drop in bad cholesterol, while
the control group did not.

30. Grapefruit may help pump up your
immune system
 That's because of the hefty
dose of vitamins A and C in
each serving. "Vitamin C and
A are huge as far as immune
boosting," says Delbridge.
 Some research indicates that
not having enough vitamin C
(and other micronutrients)
may actually hurt your
immune system, especially if
you're elderly.
 Grapefruit may not prevent a
cold but the vitamins inside
may reduce your suffering or
possibly the duration of a cold.

31. Grapefruit can lower triglyceride
levels
There's another reason
grapefruit can be good
for your heart: It
reduces levels of
triglycerides.
Triglycerides are
another type of fat—
like "bad" LDL
cholesterol—which can
quickly clog up your
arteries.

32. Grapefruit can lower blood pressure
 "Grapefruit has got some data
that it decreases systolic blood
pressure, not by a lot—it's
usually about five points—but
there's definitely good data,"
says Chiasson.
 For the 70 million Americans
who have hypertension, any
drop in blood pressure is a
good drop.
 The effect on blood pressure
may be due to grapefruit's
high potassium levels.
Potassium neutralizes the
negative effects of sodium.

33. Grapefruit may help control blood
sugar
Grapefruit also has a
low glycemic index
(GI), around 25, which
means it doesn't raise
blood sugar as quickly
or as much as high-GI
foods like white bagel
(72) or even a banana
(48) or watermelon
(72). (The highest GI
score is 100.)

34. Grapefruit juice is nice, but the fruit is
better
 Grapefruit juice has plenty of
benefits, but the traditional fruit itself
is going to give you more bang for
your buck when it comes to nutrition
and health benefits.
 "When you take juice, you're getting
some of the nutrients but you're
losing all the fiber," says Delbridge.
"Grapefruit juice is great but at the
end of the day, the entire fruit has
pectin and rind and all the parts of
it."
 Grapefruit juice can also spike your
blood sugar more than the fruit itself.
If you opt for juice of any kind,
Delbridge recommends not drinking
more than 6 ounces a day and going
only for 100% juice products that
don't have added sugar.

35. Grapefruit may speed wound healing
Vitamin C helps form
healthy scar tissue and new
blood vessels, both of
which help return your body
to a healthy state. A
grapefruit contains about 72
mg of vitamin C, which is
120% of the daily value.
 "Vitamin C speeds up
wound healing post
surgically," says
Chiasson. "I tell people
to take 500 milligrams of
vitamin C before they go
into surgery.

36. Grapefruit may even help prevent
cancer
 A large study conducted in Japan
found that people who ate citrus
(including grapefruit) throughout the
week had a lower risk of developing
cancer, especially prostate and
pancreatic, compared with the total
group of participants.
 The effect was amplified among
those who also drank a lot green
tea.
 The authors speculate that
compounds in citrus fruits reduce
inflammation and stop cancer cells
from multiplying. They may also help
repair damaged DNA, which
contributes to the development of
tumors.

37. Grapefruit can aggravate canker
sores
Grapefruit is really acidic
and it really does burn,"
says Dering-Anderson.
Citrus fruit can be one of
the worst foods for your
teeth, and can erode
tooth enamel over time.
But reducing the risk to
your oral health could be
as simple as rinsing the
mouth with water, then
brush and floss as you
normally do.