Adding grapefruit to your diet may lower your risk of insulin resistance, a precursor to type 2 diabetes, according to past research. When overweight adults ate one half-grapefruit, drank grapefruit juice, took a grapefruit pill, or took a placebo, once a day before a meal for 12 weeks, those who consumed grapefruit in any form had lower insulin levels (higher levels are a sign of type 2 diabetes). What's more, the fresh grapefruit eaters lost an average of 3.5 pounds more throughout the study than the placebo group. (But in case you take any medications, communicate with your doctor first, as grapefruit can interact with many different drugs, according to the FDA.) Buy our best seller here.

One reason for grapefruit’s potential health perks? It contains a compound called naringenin that’s also found in other citrus fruits, and in keeping with an evaluation posted in March 2019 withinside the magazine Pharmaceuticals, it could offer anti-inflammatory benefits, and assist defend against growing cardiovascular disease. This compound may also help prevent kidney cysts, according to preliminary past in vitro and animal research.

Another plus: A prior study in the journal Stroke found that eating citrus foods like grapefruit may lower a person’s risk for having an ischemic stroke, which happens when a vessel supplying blood to the brain gets a blockage, according to the American Stroke Association.

To put your grapefruit to use, you can have one as your a.m. meal, but also consider using grapefruit as a compliment to a seafood dish, or even add some wedges to your morning smoothie. One small grapefruit contains over 2 grams (g) of fiber, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which is just over 7 percent of your daily value (DV). And of the route, grapefruit shines when it comes to its vitamin C content — one small grapefruit has about 69 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C, according to the USDA, which is around 77 percent of your DV, making it an excellent source.