Grapefruits grow best in subtropical climates. In fact, it’s in their “genes.” Grapefruits were first thought to be discovered in the Caribbean; specifically on the island of Jamaica. Back then the fruit was called a shaddock. Once this citrus fruit was brought to the Unites States, it was renamed the grapefruit because of its resemblance to growing bunches of grapes, albeit very large “grapes.” Today, the US is the world’s leading producer of grapefruit accounting for nearly 40% of the total global crop.

The scientific name for a grapefruit is citrus paradise; which has a nice ring to it! The average grapefruit tree can grow to an imposing height of thirty feet, but like oranges, you have the ability to grow your own grapefruit, but it just won’t result in a large amount of fruit. There are three varieties of grapefruit, red, pink and white. Red grapefruit are sweeter than white. When selecting a grapefruit make sure it has decent size and should be firm but not too hard.

Inside the grapefruit you’ll bite into sweet, juicy and tart pulpy sections. And those sections are packed full of many nutrients that your body is craving. Top of the list, is vitamin C and potassium. Both of those nutrients are essential to repair cell damage and lower cholesterol. When you’ve got that going on, then your chances of a heart attack decrease. So, yes, grapefruit is officially a “heart healthy” food!

Grapefruits are also loaded with folate, iron and calcium. These are all very important minerals that support strong bones and strong blood. Along with that, grapefruits are a great source of fiber which we need to help keep our digestive tract on track. They are also a rich source of bioflavonoids which has been shown in several studies to decrease the chances of heart disease. But all that grapefruit goodness doesn’t stop there!

When you add it up, all it takes is one half of a grapefruit to give you half of the vitamin C you need every day. If you drink grapefruit juice that amount shoots up to 150% of the daily dose. The red and pink varieties of grapefruit have an extra bonus of vitamin A. They also carry a strong helping of lycopene. Lycopene is an antioxidant which has been shown to lower the risk of some forms of cancer, especially prostate cancer in men. In fact, a recent Harvard medical study found that eating ten servings of lycopene enriched foods a week could lower you chances of getting prostate cancer by half.

Folks suffering from inflammatory disorders like arthritis or lupus have gotten relief from a daily dose of grapefruit. All of that is pretty impressive for one little piece of fruit.

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Pittman & Davis is a leading fresh fruit gift shipper, providing texas citrus, including ruby red grapefruit, oranges, fresh citrus, and baked goods. Visit http://www.pittmandavis.com for more information.