Does Grapefruit Lower Cholesterol?

So does it? – Does grapefruit lower cholesterol? – Let’s find out…

Many thousands of people suffer from high cholesterol in developed countries. The heart disease rates in industrial nations are the worst, presumably due to the over consumption of processed foods, and the lack of exercises.

If you or someone you care about suffers from this ailment, you may have wondered, does grapefruit lower cholesterol? It is a worthwhile question with all the ‘wonder’ foods being touted as cholesterol-lowering miracles. Could it be that this sweet and tart fruit should be added to that list?

There are many healthy foods, which contribute to lowering bad cholesterol and increasing good cholesterol. In general, eating more fruits and vegetables increases your soluble fiber intake and this can help to lower high cholesterol, but grapefruit is especially helpful according to new studies being done in Jerusalem at The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School. According to the studies, red grapefruit is the best at lowering triglycerides and bad cholesterol (LDL cholesterol), due to its higher antioxidant levels than white grapefruit. More studies are called for to figure out exactly why the participants in the study had lower cholesterol from eating red grapefruit, but the fact that every single person in the group that consumed this fruit for 30 days experienced a lowering of LDL should be enough reason to add it to your diet. Does grapefruit lower cholesterol? YES. Scientists are still figuring out why.

You can eat grapefruit alone, with a little honey drizzled on top. You can eat it just barely broiled so that the outer pulp becomes juicy and slightly browned like molasses. Grapefruit is wonderful in salads, peeled and quartered, or juiced fresh. You can eat grapefruit as a freshly made sorbet, or Italian ice and it is delicious in any of these forms all throughout the year. If you can’t get grapefruit all season long in your area due to climate, you can even try growing your own citrus tree indoors. There are dwarf grapefruit trees they have experienced some success in climates that don’t normally grow citrus because they have harsh winters.

Grapefruit is also a natural appetite suppressant. When you drink a glass of grapefruit with a healthy breakfast, you are less likely to indulge in unhealthy eating, and since obesity contributes greatly to high cholesterol, eating grapefruit not only helps you to drop a few extra pounds but also makes you look and feel better too. Does grapefruit lower cholesterol? – Yes, sure does.