When you think of forbidden fruit, it’s likely a juicy red apple that comes to mind. But odds are, if you’re past 65, it’s not actually an apple but rather a grapefruit.
Now, some folks do have reason to be cautious when it comes to grapefruit. And I’ll share what you need to know about that issue in just a moment.
If you’re a grapefruit fan or concerned about your heart health, you’re probably going to want to stick around for this. Because if the latest research is any indication, grapefruit shouldn’t be forbidden. If anything, it’s nearly essential.
It turns out it may even help enhance the health of older folks in particular in one of the most important ways possible.
In fact, it could help to:
- BLOCK chronic disease
- PREVENT heart attack, stroke, and more
- ADD years to your life
Yes, my friend, believe it or not, you could get extra support for ALL of that… and more… from a humble grapefruit.
Grapefruit helps boost blood vessel health
New research reveals that the nutrients in grapefruit juice can lead to powerful changes inside the arteries.
Specifically, the study finds a glass of grapefruit juice a day for six months can trigger nearly three dozen genetic reactions inside blood vessels. The most significant change is the improvements in what’s known as pulse wave velocity.
Pulse wave velocity (PWV) doesn’t get too much attention. But it should because PWV is a crucial measure of arterial stiffness. And the stiffer your arteries, the bigger your risks become.
Experts believe a healthy compound in grapefruit juice called naringenin may help to balance out DDAH1, an enzyme with an alarming trait.
Naringenin can interfere with the ability of L-arginine to stimulate the blood vessel walls to make nitric oxide. And NO is necessary to help keep the vessels open so that blood can pass through more swiftly and efficiently.
In other words, by helping to balance out the DDAH1, the grapefruit compounds help to keep the nitric oxide flowing. And that, in turn, helps ensure healthier arteries, better circulation, and lower overall cardiovascular risk.
This study happened to focus on older women. But there’s every reason to believe men would see some similar benefits.
Find out if you can have this “forbidden” fruit
Now let’s get back to that whole “forbidden fruit” business. Folks are often told grapefruit is off-limits mainly because of a single issue. But it’s not a minor one.
Grapefruit can interfere with certain medications, in some cases in ways that can even be dangerous.
For example, grapefruit can make certain statin drugs too potent by blocking the enzyme that slows how much of the drug is absorbed. Without the enzyme, you could get hit with the full force of the drug, all at once.
Plus, it can have a similar effect on blood thinners, leading to potentially dangerous bleeding problems. I have more details, including several other drugs grapefruit can interfere with, here in my earlier report, “Are you a sip away from a fruit juice fiasco?“.
But grapefruit ISN’T off-limits for everyone. And even if it once was for you, if you have had any medication changes over the years, it may no longer be.
So go ahead and talk to your doctor about whether or not you can safely have some grapefruit. If you can, then take full advantage of it.
Along with helping to protect blood vessels, the nutrients in grapefruit can also help speed metabolism, making it an excellent option for anyone hoping to lose a few pounds or maintain their weight.
Plus, there’s evidence grapefruit could also help with immune function, glucose control, triglycerides, and more.
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