How Does Grapefruit Help Kidney Health?

Grapefruit is not only tasty but also can provide a number of health benefits. It is available throughout the year, especially between the months of November and Mei. It varies in taste (from very acidic to sweet) and hue (red, pink, yellow, and white) – and loaded with lots of essential nutrients, especially vitamin A and C. Research suggests that eating this fruit may help kidney health, how?

Things to remember to keep your kidneys healthy

You have two kidneys, each about the size of your fist and located below your rib cage. These bean-shaped organs are very crucial to support many body functions and keep you alive. Without them, you cannot survive.

One of the most important kidney functions is to maintain normal, healthy-balanced blood. Kidneys are responsible on what to keep and what to remove from the circulation (bloodstream). Therefore if there’s something goes awry with the circulation, this also often affects the kidneys. In fact, high blood pressure and chronic high blood sugar are the leading causes of kidney disease.

To work properly, the rate of blow flow to the kidneys are maintained at certain level. High blood pressure, high blood sugar, and other problems that ruin this rule will make the kidneys work harder.

Being obese is another thing that can add the kidney’s job. Your kidneys tend to work harder when you have more pounds of excess weight. So, it’s also important to keep your weight off!

How about diet? Actually, there is no special diet you need to follow to have strong and healthy kidneys. Still, healthy-balanced diet is the answer – but how should it go? Just make sure to eat the right amount of food for healthy weight, and eat a wide variety of foods in balance or in the right proportions.

For instance, dietary salt (sodium) takes more attention when it comes to diet for strong and healthy kidneys. Because sodium is often to blame for increased blood pressure! And high blood pressure is the leading cause of kidney disease! However in fact, sodium is also required by the body. You don’t have to completely skip sodium. Just make sure to take it in moderation, typically not more than 2.300 mg a day!

Your diet is not the single answer. There are plenty of other things to do to help keep both of your kidneys healthy, see more guidance in this section!

Grapefruit nutrient value

A medium pink grapefruit contains about 2 gram of protein, 26 grams of carbohydrate including 4 grams of fiber & 17 grams of sugar, 0 grams of cholesterol, 0 grams of sodium, 0 grams of fat, and 104 calories – according to the National Nutrient Diabetes (USDA).

Eating half of a grapefruit (3 ¾in diameter) a day is helpful enough to meet about 28 percent of your vitamin A needs, 64 percent of vitamin C, 2 percent of magnesium, and 2 percent of calcium. This fruit also has other essential nutrients such as small amounts of zinc, cooper, phosphorus, manganese, potatsium, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, and vitamin E. It is also loaded with antioxidant punch such as beta carotene and lycopene.

The color may have an effect on the nutritional contents of grapefruits. For instance, fresh pink and red ones are likely to have higher amounts of antioxidants and bioactive compounds than white or yellow.

And unlike other fruits, grapefruit will not ripen or improve in quality when it has been picked from its tree. Therefore, it’s recommended to pick grapefruit at its peak of ripeness. Choose one that has a little spring when squeezed and heavier for its size!

How does grapefruit help kidney health?

Both of your kidneys are designed to be capable to repair themselves. But this ability is limited (see also the chance to restore the kidney function in here). Sometime damage in the kidneys can be permanent and incurable. That’s why, it’s important to look after them!

Although the kidney function can naturally decrease with age, but there are also plenty of options to keep them healthy at every stage of your life. Eating grapefruits can be one of these options. Some studies suggest that they provide a number of health advantages for kidneys.

Grapefruit can help kidney health in several different ways, these include:

It may help prevent cancer and kidney cysts

As a good source of powerful antioxidants, grapefruit can help fight against free radicals that cause cancer. For instance, beta-carotene and vitamin C have been shown to help reduce the risk of esophageal cancer in particular. Lycopene may help lower the risk of prostate cancer.

A study also suggests that naringenin – a substance found in grapefruit and other citrus fruits – may help prevent the formation of kidney cysts, round pouches of fluid that develop in or on the kidneys. Most of the time, kidney cysts are simple cysts that rarely cause serious complications! But sometime they may also be associated with serious conditions such as polycystic kidney disease that often causes renal hypertension or even serious kidney damage.

Weight loss and weight control

Eating grapefruit is not a magic formula for your weight loss goal – it is not a miracle weight loss food. But you can include it as a part of your healthy-balanced diet to give you a little boost! It’s quite high in fiber that may help you to feel full longer.

And as well we know that healthy weight is important to keep both heart and kidneys strong. More pounds of excess weight you gain can make them work harder than usual. In fact, obesity is one of risk factors of chronic kidney disease.