In juice, as a starter or as a dessert, grapefruit or rather “pomelo” is full of health benefits. Its red color is also due to the presence of lycopene and beta-carotene, powerful antioxidants. Regular consumption of this citrus fruit is an important source of vitamin C, “a pillar of the human body”according to Dr Kahina Oussedik, doctor in biochemistry, specialist in nutritional balance and food biochemistry. “Vitamin C intervenes in particular to restore the immune system and digestive enzymes and to optimize digestion”recalls our expert.
Grapefruit is also known as a slimming food, “this is why many consume it daily.” Every morning, every lunchtime or even in the evening as a starter, everyone has their own habits. “It’s true that this fruit fills you up with very few calories and very little sugar” continues our interlocutor. “Grapefruit contains little sugar because it is very fibrous. This particularity allows sugar to be integrated into the blood drop by drop.” However, it does not make you lose weight as such. “Grapefruit has been linked to weight loss but this is a false belief, citrus fruits have not been shown to burn calories or fat.” There’s no point eating it daily for this purpose, according to this specialist.
She also advises against eating it every day because it can have harmful effects on the body: “Grapefruit has a molecule that neutralizes digestive enzymes so it is not good to consume it every day.” It is because of this effect that it is not recommended for people following certain drug treatments because, by neutralizing digestive enzymes, it can promote their overdoses. Fortunately, “We have identified the drugs in question, these are antidepressants, treatments against anxiety, against hypertension and against hyperlipidemia (cholesterol)”. Even worse when it comes to grapefruit juice because it is more loaded with this molecule which neutralizes digestive enzymes, compared to the whole fruit.
We therefore forget about grapefruit every morning, seven days a week. On the other hand, the expert in food biochemistry reassures that it is possible to eat it several times a week without adverse effects: “Let’s not be paranoid, even on medication, consuming grapefruit two to three times a week is not dangerous. The important thing is to space out the consumption of the fruit with the treatment, so that the body has assimilated it well. I always recommend it for a snack, around 4/5 p.m..”