How Drinking Grapefruit Juice Helps Boost Your Immune System
Grapefruit is a nutritionally dense tropical citrus fruit that offers many health benefits. Drinking grapefruit juice or eating a grapefruit daily can boost your immune system, lower your risk of heart disease, and even help you maintain a healthy weight. This superfruit is also chock full of antioxidants. In fact, these powerful vitamins fight against inflammation caused by free radicals. Basically, free radicals are oxygen-containing molecules with an uneven number of electrons. They can cause significant chain chemical reactions in your body, known as oxidative stress. This reaction can damage cells, proteins, and DNA. Luckily, Grapefruit juice may protect your body from free radicals that cause everything from skin damage to certain types of cancer.
Grapefruit juice is naturally low in calories and high in vitamins and minerals. The nutrients it packs in a single serving can help virtually all of your bodily systems function optimally. Some of these critical vitamins and minerals include:
- Vitamin C – powerful antioxidant properties that can help protect your body’s cells from harm.
- Vitamin A – can help protect against infectious diseases and inflammation.
- Lycopene – is well-known for its ability to prevent specific types of cancer and may slow tumor growth.
- Beta-carotene – converts to vitamin A in the body, which may help reduce the risk of heart disease.
- Flavanones – compounds with anti-inflammatory properties that may reduce cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
Grapefruit is also well-known for its contrasting flavor profile— a refreshing balance of sweet and sour. Its flesh can even add a delicious punch to everything from citrus salads to desserts. Its juice, which has a similar nutritional profile as its flesh, is a staple in many popular hand-crafted cocktails. Even a simple glass of grapefruit juice for breakfast in the morning can help kickstart your metabolism for the day.
Grapefruit Juice Benefits
Grapefruit juice’s benefits are certainly far-reaching, from improving skin health to reducing symptoms of various health conditions. Nutritionists, health and beauty experts, and research scientists tout the benefits of grapefruit juice. Below is a list of three powerful benefits of grapefruit juice that are sure to make an impact on the way you look and feel.
1: Boosts Immune System
First, grapefruit juice contains a powerful combination of important vitamins and minerals proven to help improve immune function. Additionally, these same vitamins are responsible for fighting inflammation in the body. They also help you recover more quickly from illnesses, such as the common cold.
2: Helps with Weight Management
Next, Grapefruit juice is rich in fiber which is an important factor in weight management. Diets that are high in fiber-rich foods help to induce fullness. Additionally, fiber slows the rate of digestion.
3: Promotes Proper Hydration
Of course, there is no substitute for good old-fashioned water, but adding foods into your diet that are rich in water content can go a long way toward keeping you well hydrated. Every bodily system requires adequate amounts of water to function correctly. Because Grapefruits are approximately 88% water, grapefruit juice can offer great hydration benefits that will positively impact essentially every bodily system function.
Boost your Immune System Today
Z.E.N. Foods is here to help boost your immune system by delivering delicious, nutrient-packed meals and juices to your door daily. Each meal and juice is prepared with ingredients rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties to improve your immune system and overall health. In addition, our Z.E.N. consultants consider your lifestyle, age, and activity level when setting up your plan. So whether it’s a meal plan, juice cleanses, or a combination of both, we can help!