Sweet (tián 甜) and sour (suãn 酸) flavor and Yin-cold (lěng 冷) thermal nature and is affiliated with the Stomach, Spleen and Lung meridian. 

Active compounds:

Grapefruit is renowned for its high vitamin C content. It is also rich in vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and E, fiber, dietary fiber, has a high content of free-radical–fighting phytonutrients, including limonoids and lycopene. It contains pectin, a form of soluble fiber found to slow the progression of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). In addition, this fruit also has a low glycemic index, meaning that it gradually releases glucose into the bloodstream over a long period. 

Grapefruit combat free radicals, fight cancer, improve bowel function, fight fatty acids, increase metabolism speed, reduce atherosclerosis plaques and help protect the Heart.

Clinical Usage and Indications:

• Regulates Qi down bearing rebel Qi and moving it detoxifying alcohol intoxication
• Strengthen the Stomach aiding digestion. It has a cooling effect on the body, being helpful for people suffering from weak digestion, Stomach fullness, and improving bowel function.
• Clears Heat and quenches thirst.
• Resolve Phlegm 
• Prevents prostate cancer in men who ate foods high in lycopene, including the wide red-orange grapefruit varieties, were far less likely to develop prostate cancer than those eating a diet low in lycopene. 
• Boosts the immune system as a powerhouse source of vitamin C; grapefruit helps support the immune system. Grapefruit also boasts a high content of free–radical–fighting phytonutrients, including limonoids and lycopene.
• Support the Heart. It helps prevent cardiovascular disease by reducing atherosclerosis plaques protecting the Heart, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, and excess uric acid, which causes gout, kidney stones, uric arthritis, and infections. Lowers cholesterol and triglycerides levels
• Promotes weight loss by lowering insulin levels by blocking fat deposits, also making the body burn more fat than average. Fights fatty acids, increasing metabolism speed.
• It prevents premature aging due to its action as an antioxidant, combats free radicals, fights cancer, fights fatty acids, and increases metabolism speed.

Directions: Peel the tangerine and eat them. Since tangerines are easier to peel, they can be a quick and easy snack, especially when on the go.

Precaution: If taking pharmaceutical drugs, check with the physician that grapefruit is not affecting medications. Compounds in grapefruit can cause certain drugs to becoming more potent. For example, when combined with grapefruit, statin drugs become more potent in the body and transport more of the statin drug in the circulation than usual; these raised levels of statin could trigger a rare but severe disease called rhabdomyolysis.

♨︎ The Grapefruit Diet

The grapefruit diet, which has made it known, is based on the consumption of half grapefruit at each meal for ten days, promising to eliminate between 5 and 10 kg. Thanks to the rich in fibers that the fruit presents, its consumption helps to satiate, inhibiting hunger.

From The Tao of Tummy book ©