The grapefruit we know today was developed in the West Indies in the
early 1700s and first introduced to Florida in the 1820s. Today, most
grapefruit is still grown in Florida. Since the early part of the 20th
century, mutant strains of white grapefruit have appeared with pink to
slightly reddish color, and have been propagated by citriculturists into
several strains of grapefruit that are now best known as the Ruby Red.
Grapefruit got its name from the way it grows in clusters (like grapes) on
the tree. There is no mistaking a grapefruit tree—they are large with
glossy dark green leaves and the fruit hangs in clusters on the tree.
Grapefruit trees are beautiful and a member of the citrus family. It seems to be a cross between an orange and a shaddock, combining
the sweet and tangy flavor of each fruit.
If YOU DRINK GRAPEFRUIT
JUICE AND TAKE MEDICATIONS READ THIS:
A cold glass of grapefruit juice is part of the
morning routine for a lot of people. What you may not realize,
however, is that this same juice might interact with drugs you are
taking. The interaction between grapefruit and some medications was
discovered by accident when researchers were looking for an
interaction between a particular blood pressure medicine and
alcohol. Grapefruit juice was used as a vehicle to mask the taste of
the alcohol. While the alcohol did not affect the amount of the drug
circulating in the body, the grapefruit juice greatly increased the
levels of the medication.
Some medications which may be affected by grapefruit
juice include: midazolam (Versed¾), cyclosporin (Sandimmune¾,
Neoral¾), lovastatin (Mevacor¾), simvastatin (Zocor¾), ¾),
pravastatin (Pravachol¾), and Thyroid medications.
Certain prescription antihistamines, such as
Astemizole which is in Hismanal¾ and terfenadine which is in
Seldane¾ and Seldane-D¾, could also be affected by grapefruit
juice. With these particular medications, increased drug levels
could be associated with arrhythmias which could be fatal.
If you are taking a medication that should not be
taken with one of these drugs, Erythromycin, itraconazole (Sporanox¾),
ketoconazole (Nizoral¾), mibefradil or (Posicor¾), the safest
course of action is to assume that it would interact with grapefruit
juice. An example of this is cisapride (Propulsid¾), which is used
to treat certain gastrointestinal problems.
If you drink grapefruit juice regularly, it would be
a good idea to inquire about its possible interaction with any
medications you may be taking or any new drugs that are added. Some
sources recommend not drinking grapefruit juice within 2 hours
before and 5 hours after a drug that may interact with it. A safer
approach would be to substitute another citrus juice, such as orange
juice, which has the same vitamins but has not demonstrated the drug
interactions.
Remember that eating grapefruit or taking grapefruit
supplements may also interact with the same medications. Some drinks
that are flavored with fruit juice could be flavored with grapefruit
juice. Check the label, if you are not sure. |
|
Grapefruit |
Serving Size
1/2 cup, sectioned
Amount
Per Serving |
%
Daily Value* |
Calories Per
Serving 60 |
|
Calories
from Fat 0 |
|
Total Fat 0g
|
0% |
Saturated
Fat 0g
|
0% |
Cholesterol
0g
|
0% |
Sodium 0g
|
0% |
Total
Carbohydrate 9g
|
3% |
Dietary
Fiber 1g
|
4% |
Sugars 8g
|
|
Protein 1g
|
|
Vitamin A |
20% |
Vitamin C |
70% |
Calcium |
2% |
Iron |
0% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a
2,000 calorie diet.
|
|
|
|
There are three major types of grapefruit white, pink/red, and star
ruby/rio red varieties. All grapefruit have a similar tangy-sweet flavor
and are very juicy. The grapefruits that are used to make juice are those
which contain seeds. The pink or red variety contains more vitamins than
the white.
Choose grapefruit that is glossy, round, smooth and heavy for its size.
Avoid any grapefruit with brown and/or soft spots.
Store grapefruit at room temperature up to a week, or up to 8 weeks in
a refrigerator. Leave at room temperature for a couple of hours before
eating.
Recipes
Ruby Grapefruit Slush
Makes 4 servings. (about 2 cups)
Ingredients
2 cups Ruby Red grapefruit juice
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. corn syrup
1/4 cup red raspberry jam (all fruit)
In a small saucepan, bring 1/4 cup of grapefruit juice and sugar to
a boil, stirring frequently until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from
heat and let cool. Stir in remaining grapefruit juice and corn syrup.
Pour mixture into an 8- or 9-inch square pan and freeze 1 hour, or
until frozen 1 inch around the edges. Stir well with a fork to break
up large pieces of ice. Cover and freeze 3 hours, or until completely
frozen.
To Serve:
Once frozen, let stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes to soften,
then scrape with a large metal spoon, creating coarse pebbles of ice, and
serve in chilled bowls or glasses, microwave raspberry jam until just
pourable and drizzle over top of each serving.
Each serving contains about 145 KCAL, .6gm PRO, 35gm CHO, 26gm Sugar,
0gm Fat, 28mg Sodium, 198mg Potassium.
Find more in our
recipe database!
|