The most important benefits and harms of grapefruit

Grapefruit is one of the fruits that have some medicinal properties, what are the harms of grapefruit and what are its benefits? Follow the article to find out.

Grapefruit is a type of tropical citrus fruit, characterized by its sweet and sour taste. It is considered one of the fruits rich in health benefits because it contains a group of minerals, antioxidants and fiber.

Let's learn about the following about the damage of grapefruit, and important information about it:

Grapefruit damage

The benefits of grapefruit are undoubted if it is eaten in moderate and safe quantities, but when consumed excessively and for long periods, it may lead to the following grapefruit damage:

Increases the risk of breaking down body tissues

Eating a lot of grapefruit may lead to tissue erosion, especially the tissues of the digestive system, as they are the most exposed to it, and this causes stomach pain and diarrhea, due to the grapefruit containing citric acid.

Citric acid also has a negative effect on the teeth, increasing the possibility of erosion and damage

It interacts with some of the medications

Despite the benefits of grapefruit, a doctor should be consulted when taking it with medications, as grapefruit interacts with some medications, which negatively affects the enzymes and transporters responsible for drug absorption and transport in the body, thus increasing the amount of the drug above the permissible limit or reducing its effectiveness, which is One of the important effects of grapefruit that should not be overlooked.

Among the most important drugs that grapefruit interacts with are the following:

Statin medications to lower cholesterol

Calcium channel blockers that lower blood pressure

Some anti-anxiety medications and cortisone pills.

Certain heart pacemakers and antihistamines.

It increases the estrogen hormone and prevents its breakdown in the body

This effect of grapefruit leads to an increased risk of breast cancer, so you should avoid too much grapefruit in the event of breast cancer or if there are risk factors that increase the chance of developing it.

Heart rate increases

People with heart disease or arrhythmia should avoid grapefruit. Because it increases the heart rate, this can have a negative effect.

The benefits of grapefruit are many, but the harms of grapefruit are also not few, so pregnant and breastfeeding women are advised to avoid grapefruit, as there are not enough studies proving a safe degree for these groups.

Benefits of grapefruit

After grapefruit damage, grapefruit is a rich source of vitamin C and potassium salts, and it has many benefits, including:

Contributes to weight loss

The calorie content of grapefruit is very low, and on the other hand, it is abundant in minerals and vitamins, so it is used in diets, as it helps in losing weight and getting rid of excess fat in obese people.

However, a balance must be followed by following diet regimes, avoiding total dependence on grapefruit during the day, and ignoring other basic foods. Excessive consumption of grapefruit in obsession with weight loss may lead to digestive problems, such as: diarrhea.

Boosts the immune system

Grapefruit helps boost the immune system and cell resistance to viruses and bacteria due to its abundance of vitamin C and antioxidants. According to a study, grapefruit’s vitamin A content may also help protect cells from infections and pathological infections.

Grapefruit also contains small amounts of vitamin B, zinc, copper, and iron that support the immune system and maintain the integrity of the skin, which is the first line of defense against microbes.

Regulates blood sugar levels

One of the benefits of grapefruit is that eating it helps regulate the level of insulin in the body, and reduces the risk of insulin resistance that leads to high blood sugar, so eating it is good for diabetics, but in limited quantities.

Promotes heart health

Eating grapefruit on a regular basis may help protect the heart muscle by reducing the risk factors that lead to damage to it. Grapefruit helps control high blood pressure and cholesterol.

Relieves asthma

Grapefruit is good for asthma patients, as it improves lung function and reduces the severity of asthma symptoms.

Contributes to lowering cholesterol and triglycerides

It was found that eating grapefruit daily for 16 weeks has a positive effect on reducing bad cholesterol and triglycerides, and increasing good cholesterol.

Eliminates head lice

One of the amazing benefits of grapefruit is that using shampoo that contains grapefruit extract helps to get rid of head lice, by applying it to the hair for 10-20 minutes, and reusing it after 10 days helps to remove the remaining eggs.