Grapefruit Benefits: Fiber

It would be a rare person who could list all of the grapefruit benefits that are known. It would be an even rarer person still who could say that they know that one of those grapefruit benefits is an abundance of fiber. This is most likely because when you read up about grapefruit benefits, they always seem to center around dieters or people who are sick and need the Vitamin C. Although these two groups can get great grapefruit benefits, fiber should not be overlooked.

Grapefruit benefits those who need more fiber in their diet because of something called pectin. Pectin is a form of fiber that is called a soluble fiber. This means that the fiber is not absorbed into the blood stream. Instead, it takes the form of a gel and goes through your digestive tract. But it also has a unique thing it can do – it can actually bind to cholesterol. This is an excellent grapefruit benefits. The bound cholesterol goes through your system rather than attaching to your arteries. In doing so, it can lower your cholesterol and prevent heart blockage.

Of course, since it prevents artery blockage and can help clear up the blockage that is already there, the pectin is a remarkable example of grapefruit benefits. With improved heart health and circulation such as what comes from grapefruit benefits and pectin, there is also a reduced chance of stroke.

Half of a raw grapefruit has up to six grams of this pectin, as long as it is eaten with the skin intact. Eat the grapefruit like you would an orange to reap the full scope of grapefruit benefits. Eating it without the skin will only net you two grams of pectin fiber. Though this is still good, getting three times the amount is obviously better.

There is no amount of grapefruit juice that will get you six or even two grams of pectin. This is because the juice contains no pulp or the chewy skin that surrounds each piece of grapefruit. So juice will not reap you grapefruit benefits. Even if your juice is freshly squeezed and does have some pulp in it, it will not be enough to get a significant amount of grapefruit benefits. Though you will surely get all the other great grapefruit benefits from a glass of juice, you should not rely on juice if you are trying to get pectib fiber from the grapefruit. Unfortunately, it just will not work.

Think of creative ways to get raw grapefruit into your diet and you will reap the grapefruit benefits. Your heart, your arteries and pretty much the rest of your body will all thank you.

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