Nineteen Ways Using Grapefruit Can Transform Your Health

And Home

Grapefruit is a stunningly colored citrus fruit grown in subtropical climates with a sweet and tart taste. First documented in Barbados in 1750, the grapefruit has often been referred to as the forbidden fruit.

As delectable as they are, grapefruits have 50% more citric acid than oranges. For that reason, they are also known for making those who eat them grimace with the sour sensation they provide.

Even if their bitter taste isn’t your jam, regularly eating grapefruit is mighty beneficial for your body, and thanks to its antimicrobial properties, it also makes for an incredibly eco-friendly cleaning agent. And that’s just the start!

Ready to take the grapefruit challenge? See if you can incorporate each of these 19 grapefruit uses into your life for a healthier body and a sparkling home:

#1. Sheds Extra Weight

Eating just half a grapefruit before or after each meal may reduce insulin levels and encourages weight loss. A 12-week study led by Dr. Ken Fujioka found that participants who ate just half a grapefruit with each meal lost an average of 3.6 pounds.

#2. Lowers Cholesterol

Grapefruit consumption may lower cholesterol and may reduce the risk of heart diseases. In fact, incorporating grapefruit into your diet for just one month can reduce cholesterol by as much as 17%.

#3: Boosts the Immune System

Grapefruit packs a heavy dose of both vitamin A and vitamin C and helps close the gate to various illnesses.

#4: Helps Control Blood Pressure

High levels of potassium in grapefruit help reduce systolic blood pressure in patients up to four degrees. Many scientists consider grapefruit as the miracle fruit for lowering blood pressure, as it is so powerful that many patients choose to stop taking the pills and eat grapefruit instead.

#5: Creates A Youthful Glow

An antioxidant powerhouse, grapefruit may help reduce wrinkles when consumed or used topically. Grapefruit-enriched topicals improve pigmentation, discoloration, and dull complexion. Making detoxifying grapefruit topicals requires minimal ingredients too!

#6: Is a Delicious Tea

After enjoying the grapefruit’s insides, the peel itself can be brewed into a throat-soothing tea. The peel is especially dense with antioxidants, making this one of the best teas we can improve the immune system. Pick up an extra sparkle of taste by adding a little spoon full of honey from your local Bee Farmer at your local Farmers Market.

#7: Makes Cookware Sparkle

Pots and pans made of copper, brass, or aluminum can become dull over time. To make them shine like new, simply rub them with a halved grapefruit or grapefruit seed oil, then dry with a clean cloth for a glossy finish.

#8: Polishes Furniture

Both grapefruit seed oil or the combination of olive oil and grapefruit juice make for top-notch furniture polish, particularly for wooden pieces. Spray this sustainable mixture onto a surface and buff away.

#9: Regulates Digestion

Drinking grapefruit juice for breakfast or after meals may be an excellent way to kickstart the digestive system or assist with constipation. Grapefruit juice is also known to reduce inflammation, making it a simple solution for soothing irritable bowels.

#10: Promotes Radiant Skin

Exfoliate the skin with a halved grapefruit thoroughly and see a difference that glows. The burst of vitamin C helps nourish sun-damaged skin while increasing collagen production and improving overall skin tone.

#11: Prevents Hair Loss

Washing your hair with antioxidant-rich grapefruit juice twice a week enables hair regrowth and fights bacteria that causes dandruff. Additionally, massaging the scalp with grapefruit seed oil gives dull hair a lustrous sheen that is super soft to the touch.

#12: Repels Pests

A little-known fact about insects is that they commonly despise citrusy scents. Rather than introducing harmful chemicals into the home, place dried grapefruit peels by walls, in cracks, or anywhere that ants or other pests make their appearances.

#13: Assists with Diabetes

Grapefruit boasts a low glycemic index of about 25, compared to high GI foods such as white bagels (72) or even a banana (48). Consuming just one half of a grapefruit drastically reduces insulin levels in the bloodstream.

#14: Heals Wounds

Applying grapefruit juice cuts, scrapes, and even post-surgical wounds are said to promote healthy scar tissue and blood vessels, thanks to all that vitamin C again.

#15: Prevents and Slows Cancer

Certain studies show that the high citric acid levels in grapefruit reduce inflammation and stop cancer cells from multiplying and spreading. The cancer-fighting properties of grapefruit are especially helpful with fighting prostate and pancreatic cancer.

#16: Improves Eyesight

We’ve learned by now that grapefruit is a great source of vitamin A, even more so than oranges. In fact, one helping of grapefruit contains 28% of the recommended value for daily vitamin A consumption. But grapefruit also hosts a heavy dose of beta carotene, which combines with vitamin A to improve eyesight.

#17: Detoxes the Liver

Grapefruit is one of the main ingredients used in many detoxes. The fruit’s antioxidants and phytonutrients play a major role in cleansing the liver and fighting against liver disease.

#18: Decreases the chance of Kidney Stones

Drinking half a glass of grapefruit juice every day may reduce the risk of developing kidney stones by increasing hydrating and stimulating urination. Drinking grapefruit juice is so effective that it is considered one of the best treatment options for preventing and eliminating kidney cysts.

#19: Safely Cleans Pet Toys and Cages and Cleanses Wounds

Next to vinegar, the grapefruit seed oil is widely considered the safest cleaning agent for any product that a pet (or, for that matter, a baby) comes in close contact with. So much so that it is preferred in the avian community to clean and treat open wounds without the risk of poisoning the animal with toxic chemicals.

When confronted with health issues, kitchen messes, and beauty blunders, there is just one doctor we can always turn to for an eco-friendly, toxin-free solution: Mother Earth.

Before opting for expensive medicines with questionable ingredients, it’s best to seek out natural remedies in the form of plant medicines, such as grapefruit. This wondrous fruit heals the body while boosting the immune system and is available locally. Find it fresh and take a delicious step towards a healthier life.