Namaste

As a citrus, we are assured of our daily dose of vitamin C from grapefruit. For that matter, it is considered among the top vitamin C foods, and thanks to the role of the media, you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t agree that eating grapefruit is a healthy way to start the day. While it is not my favourite citrus, grapefruit has been in the spotlight long enough to convince the average person to ensure that some of it is in their diet, especially those who are trying to manage their weight. Not only can grapefruit’s nootkatone help to prevent obesity without negatively affecting neurotransmitters, but it can also improve overall physical performance.

When immune system’s cells get the vitamin C they need from dietary sources like grapefruit, they are better able to identify and successfully wipe out any invading organisms. With regards to the heart, it is believed that consuming grapefruit improves heart health by reducing risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure and cholesterol. These effects are due to the important nutrients that grapefruit contains, which play a role in keeping our heart functioning properly. For example, grapefruit is fairly high in potassium. Adequate potassium intake is associated with a reduced risk of high blood pressure and lowers the risk of death from heart disease.

There are also many articles attesting to its benefits in relation to the skin, which has resulted in a variety of cosmetic and skin-cleansing products on the market that have grapefruit as a star ingredient. This is because it contains natural acids that cleanse the skin when used in skincare products, and its vitamin C component acts as an antioxidant to protect the skin. It is also essential to the formation of collagen, the production of which is key to keeping skin looking youthful and wrinkle-free.

With so many benefits to the body, it can leave one wide-eyed at the fact that grapefruit or grapefruit juice negatively interacts with many of the drugs that doctors conscientiously prescribe. As therapists, this is another reminder of the need to keep abreast with health news and, when possible, conduct detailed consultation with clients to obtain a broad view of the factors that may be contributing to their condition. Sometimes effective treatment could be massaging the client to help reduce/remove toxins from negative drugs interactions. Other times it could be referring the client back to the doctor to share with him/her the information they did with you. In the end, the best treatment could be what the client is no longer taking.