Grapefruit
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Major Growing Areas
Grapefruits are cultivated in Florida, California and Texas of the United States on a large scale. In recent years, there has been a small-scale cultivation of grapefruits in various regions in China, such as Sichuan, Fujian, Guangdong and Zhejiang.
Varieties
Grapefruits are a hybrid of oranges and pomelos. They bear the characteristics and flavours of both fruits, having a sweet, sour and bitter taste. Whilst there are a myriad of varieties of grapefruits, they can be distinguished by pulp colours. Some common varieties include Thompson grapefruits and Duncan grapepfruits, which have pink and white pulp respectively.
Nutritional Values
Grapefruits are rich in vitamin C. Those with red and pink pulp contain β-carotene and lycopene, both of which help improve vision and prevent night blindness.
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Per 100 g (Approx. ½ grapefruit) |
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Energy |
42 kcal |
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Sugar |
6.9 g |
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Vitamin C |
31.2 mg |
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Dietary Fibre |
1.6 g |
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β-carotene |
686 μg |
Buying Tips
It is advisable to buy grapefruits that are big, plump and heavy with glossy and firm skin.
Interesting Titbits
Grapefruits interact with many medicines and may affect patients' conditions by either intensifying or diminishing the potency of medicines. In light of this, patients should consult doctors and read medicine labels carefully prior to taking medication.
Very often, grapefruits are mistakenly thought to have a fat burning effect that is conducive to weight control. Actually, so far, no research has proven that grapefruits contain fat burning elements. Weight loss is associated with eating grapefruits or drinking grapefruit juice only in the sense that we replace other high energy foods with grapefruits. Eating fruits such as apples, pears and grapes can also achieve the same result.
One Serving of Fruit is Equivalent to:
½ grapefruit
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