It is one of my favourite seasons...Grapefruit Season!

There is nothing better than starting the day with the goodness of grapefruit, but this unsung hero gets a bad reputation, often leaving fruit around the country being left to rot.

Now don’t get me wrong, there are certainly some precautions around grapefruit use for those on medications (which I will go into later), but for those that can - please do!

In New Zealand it seems every other property has a good old grapefruit tree with huge yellow, juicy fruit.  While some may shy away from it’s bitter, sour tartness, it is these flavours that are part of its powers.  When we eat these flavours, they stimulate our digestion to get started.  We begin to release plenty of saliva, gastric juices, bile and digestive enzymes which all help to break down our food effectively and get the full nutrient goodness out of all that we eat.  The flavour profile also encourages us to eat slower, further aiding digestion, and it also sets our blood sugar regulation (and therefore our sugar cravings) on the right track. It may be these properties that sparked the grapefruit diet craze of the 1980s, however, it would seem that any weight loss may be a side effect of it's positive health benefits.

If that were all grapefruit were good for, it would still make a great start to your day. But wait, there’s more…

Grapefruit have natural anti-microbial properties, so are great for helping to balance out our gut microbiome for overall health and immune regulation.  For those that scoop grapefruit out of the skin, you may gain additional benefits from the white pith which contains pectin that also positively influences the gut microbiome.  The most commonly found bacteria in both urinary tract infections and vaginitis, such as e.coli, staph aureus and candida albicans, have all been found to be inhibited by grapefruit juice, making it a valuable dietary addition for these conditions.  

Grapefruit and its juice is high in vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium and palmitic acid.  The phenol and flavonoid content is also very high, which has been suggested as the key to its cholesterol- and blood pressure-lowering actions.  In a study on animals given a high cholesterol diet, having grapefruit juice daily reduced total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL cholesterol levels, while raising the ‘good’ HDL cholesterol.  One daily grapefruit can also reduce hematocrit levels, which helps reduce your heart disease risk. The juice of grapefruit also inhibits ACE, an enzyme that contributes to high blood pressure.  

It is an interesting crossroads that just as grapefruit inhibits ACE, so do medications such as Lisinopril that are ACE Inhibitors that assist with blood pressure management.  While ACE Inhibitors may be safe to take alongside grapefruit, there is however a long list of medications that should not be taken with grapefruit, particularly those involved in cardiovascular health such as statins, calcium channel blockers and anticoagulants.  Oral contraceptives, anti-cancer, anti-anxiety, anti-depressants, anti-epileptic and immuno-suppressants are also on the list.

These restrictions around medications come about because of the furanocoumarins found in grapefruit, that bind to the enzymes responsible for processing these drugs out of the body.  Found in both the intestines and the liver, these enzymes are used by up to 50% of all medications as an exit-route from the body.  If these enzymes are blocked, the drug spends longer time in the body - increasing both its therapeutic effects and possible adverse side effects.

If you are on medications, it is best to check with your doctor before adding grapefruit into your diet.  However, if you are not, don’t miss the season for adding this powerhouse for health and vitality to your morning routine!