10 Science-Based Benefits of Grapefruit Grapefruit is a tropical citrus fruit known for its sweet and somewhat sour taste.
It's rich in nutrients, antioxidants and fiber, making it one of the healthiest citrus fruits you can eat.
Research shows that it may have some powerful health benefits, including weight loss and a reduced risk of heart disease.
Here are 10 evidence-based health benefits of grapefruit.
1. It's Low in Calories, Yet High in Nutrients
Grapefruit is an incredibly healthy food to include in your diet. That's because it's high in nutrients, but low in calories. In fact, it's one of the lowest-calorie fruits.
It provides a decent amount of fiber, in addition to more than 15 beneficial vitamins and minerals.
Here are some of the major nutrients found in half of a medium-sized grapefruit (1):
Calories: 52
Carbs: 13 grams
Protein: 1 gram
Fiber: 2 grams
Vitamin C: 64% of the RDI
Vitamin A: 28% of the RDI
Potassium: 5% of the RDI
Thiamine: 4% of the RDI
Folate: 4% of the RDI
Magnesium: 3% of the RDI
Additionally, it is a rich source of some powerful antioxidant plant compounds, which are likely responsible for many of its health benefits.
SUMMARY:
Grapefruit is low in calories and also provides a significant amount of fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
2. It May Benefit Your Immune System
Eating grapefruit regularly may be beneficial for your immune system.
It's prized for its high content of vitamin C, which has antioxidant properties known to protect your cells from harmful bacteria and viruses (2Trusted Source).
Additionally, several studies have shown vitamin C to be beneficial for helping people recover more quickly from the common cold (3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source).
Many other vitamins and minerals found in grapefruit are known to benefit immunity, including vitamin A, which has been shown to help protect against inflammation and several infectious diseases (8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source).
Grapefruit also provides small amounts of B vitamins, zinc, copper and iron, which all work together in the body to promote immune system function. They also help maintain the integrity of your skin, which acts as a protective barrier to infection (10Trusted Source).
SUMMARY:
Grapefruit may benefit your immune system, as it contains several vitamins and minerals known for their role in preventing infection.
3. May Promote Appetite Control
Grapefruit contains a decent amount of fiber — 2 grams in half of a medium-sized fruit (1).
Research shows that a diet high in fiber-rich fruits is beneficial for inducing feelings of fullness. This is because fiber slows the rate at which your stomach empties, increasing digestion time (11Trusted Source, 12, 13Trusted Source).
Thus, consuming adequate amounts of fiber may automatically help you eat fewer calories throughout the day by keeping your appetite at bay (14Trusted Source).
SUMMARY:
Grapefruit contains fiber, which helps with appetite control by promoting fullness.
4. It Has Been Shown to Aid Weight Loss
Grapefruit is a weight loss friendly food.
It has several properties linked to weight loss, especially its fiber content, which helps promote fullness and reduce calorie intake (14Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source).
Additionally, grapefruit contains few calories but lots of water, which is another characteristic known to help with weight loss (18Trusted Source).
One study in 91 obese subjects found that those who consumed half of a fresh grapefruit before meals lost significantly more weight than those who didn't (19Trusted Source).
In fact, those in the group that ate fresh grapefruit lost an average of 3.5 pounds (1.6 kg) over 12 weeks, while the participants in the group that didn't eat grapefruit lost less than 1 pound (0.3 kg), on average (19Trusted Source).
Other studies have found similar weight-reducing effects. For instance, one study found that participants experienced a reduced waist size when they consumed grapefruit daily with their meals (20Trusted Source, 21Trusted Source).
SUMMARY:
Eating grapefruit before meals may be helpful for weight loss. Its fiber and water can promote fullness and reduce calorie intake.
5. Grapefruit May Help Prevent Insulin Resistance and Diabetes
Eating grapefruit regularly may have the potential to prevent insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes.
Insulin resistance occurs when your cells stop responding to insulin.
Insulin is a hormone that regulates many processes in your body. For example, it's involved in many aspects of your metabolism, but it's most commonly known for its role in blood sugar control (22Trusted Source).
Insulin resistance ultimately leads to higher insulin and blood sugar levels, two primary risk factors for type 2 diabetes (22Trusted Source, 23Trusted Source, 24Trusted Source).
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