Most people eat Florida grapefruit either by juicing it or sectioning it. When served as part of a nutritious breakfast or lunch, Florida grapefruit is usually served as a juice or cut it in half and eaten by spooning out the meat between the membranes. You’ll certainly benefit from the high vitamin C content of Florida grapefruit if you eat a grapefruit half or drink a glass of tangy grapefruit juice; but to derive the full nutritional value of this delicious Florida citrus fruit, you have to peel and eat a grapefruit like you would an orange.
The pulp and juice of Florida grapefruit are an excellent, low-calorie source of vitamin C, and the pulp adds some fiber to your diet. Marsh White and Ruby Red Florida grapefruit also contain powerful phytochemicals (flavonoids, terpenes and limonoids) that many researchers believe may help the body fight off cancer. Sweet Ruby Red grapefruit are also a potent source of disease-fighting beta-carotene. Red-colored grapefruit also contain lycopene, a carotenoid that may help the body halt tumor growth. Research on Lycopene’s ability to suppress prostate tumors has been particularly promising.
But unless you eat your grapefruit in sections like you would a Florida orange, you’re missing one of this fruit’s most potent health benefits. Florida grapefruit membranes contain pectin which both lowers cholesterol and provides your body a healthy dose of soluble fiber, an important digestive aid. Because soluble fiber also makes you feel full, grapefruit can help you control your weight.
