Wonderfully juicy with a tart tangy taste underscored with sweetness, the grapefruit may just be the taste of paradise as its Latin name suggests, citrus paradisi. Just like oranges, grapefruits are popular as a morning juice and offer many of the same benefits as oranges.

Brimming with Vitamin C
Grapefruit is a superb source of vitamin C, an essential nutrient for a healthy immune system. More than 20 scientific studies show that vitamin C rich foods, like grapefruit, help lessen the severity of colds or even protect us from them. Vitamin C also protects us from harmful oxygen molecules (called free radicals) that can set off inflammatory chain reactions in our cells. Therefore vitamin C intake has been associated with a reduction in the symptoms of inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and asthma.

The inflammatory effects of free radicals can also damage our arteries causing atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke. So the anti-inflammatory effects of eating vitamin C rich foods can also considerably reduce our risk of developing heart disease. As all fruits and vegetables are a source of vitamin C (to one degree or another), it is not surprising that those who eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables are considerably less likely to have heart problems that those who eat very little or no fruits and vegetables.
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Tags: antioxidants, grapefruit, health benefits of grapefruit juice, juice, vitamin c