How Does This Ayurvedic Food Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Grapefruit & Digestion

Grapefruit improves digestion. Its sour taste increases saliva and gastric juices. The fruits bitterness stimulates peristalsis and cleansing of the digestive tract. Grapefruit increases the effective potency and bioavailability of many drugs by inhibiting certain enzymes. It increases alertness and refreshes the body, due to sourness and bitterness.

Grapefruit, Fat Metabolism, & Cholesterol

Grapefruit improves fat metabolism and lowers cholesterol. Scientists have hypothesized that grapefruit reduces insulin levels, encouraging fat loss. Ayurveda's high regard for grapefruit lies in its taste, the combination of sour and bitter flavors. Sour and bitter tastes stimulate the flow of bile, which cleans the liver of congestion and prevents the formation of stones in the gall bladder. The removal of bile from the liver, due to its oiliness, also lowers cholesterol levels in the blood. Your spine will feel more cool and relaxed because the bile flow directly reduces Pitta.

The Grapefruit Diet

The grapefruit diet is a weight-loss program popularized in the 1930s. It is a low-calorie crash diet with the addition of 1/2 grapefruit per meal. As with many fad diets, use caution. Avoid starvation or crash diets that increase Vata and ultimately lower metabolism. A healthy diet with the addition of grapefruit can be a sustainable method for long-term weight loss.

Grapefruit & Aging

Grapefruit contains large quantities of spermidine, necessary for cell growth and maturation. As cells age their level of spermidine falls. Worms, fruit flies, and yeast fed spermidine have significantly longer life spans. Mice fed spermidine had reduced molecular markers of aging. Human cells fed spermidine also lived longer. A half grapefruit provides 78.1 percent of the daily recommended dose of vitamin C. High levels of the powerful antioxidant lycopene, shown to have anti-tumor activity, give grapefruit its characteristic red/pink color.

Contraindications

Grapefruit may interfere with enzymes that metabolize estrogen, possibly increasing the risk of breast cancer in women who previously used hormone therapy. Grapefruit can increase the risk of some types of kidney stones. Grapefruit also interferes with some beta blocker drugs used to treat high blood pressure, and cyclosporine, taken by transplant patients to prevent rejection of their new organs. Grapefruits are also contraindicated when using anti-depressants.

Recipes with Grapefruit: Grapefruit with Honey

About Grapefruit

Grapefruit is a relatively new addition to the citrus family. It is a hybrid first discovered in the 18th century. Described as tart, tangy, or sweet, the grapefruit is said to be one of the "Seven Wonders of Barbados, because legend says the fruit was first developed there. Its name comes from the tendency of grapefruits to grow in grape-like clusters on the tree.

Buying & Preparation

Available in white, pink, and red varieties, grapefruits are in season from winter to early spring. Grapefruit is also an essential food for spring that helps wakes up your body out of hibernation. It makes your eyes feel bright, refreshed, and moisturised.

Select grapferuits that are heavy for their size - they tend to have a thinner skin.

Recipes with Grapefruit: Grapefruit, Quinoa & Fennel Salad with Mint

Cooking Grapefruit

Grapefruits can be eaten raw, sliced, peeled as an orange, or served as a half-shell. Grapefruits can be grilled and baked. Grapefruit with honey is a cleansing and healthy breakfast for Kapha. In Costa Rica the fruit is cooked to transform the sourness into sweetness, then served in a sweet dessert known as stuffed grapefruit. Sliced grapefruit with cilantro and chili peppers make for a spicy, refreshing, and juicy salsa. Grapefruit in salad actually helps in digestion of the salad greens. Serve room temperature rather than cold for a more juicy effect.Browse Recipes