Botany and history of the grapefruit
Grapefruit is a citrus fruit that is believed to have originated in Southeast Asia. Grapefruit trees are evergreen trees that can grow to be up to 40 feet tall. This hybrid citrus comes from Barbados, where it was crossed by accident. Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) is a cross between orange and pomelo.
Citrus paradisi is known for its bitter yet sour to semi-sweet taste. Did you know that there are white, pink and red grapefruits? The darker the color, the sweeter it is generally.
Grapefruits, like oranges and other citrus fruits, are high in vitamin C. In fact, one whole, medium grapefruit provides you with 100% of your daily requirement for vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that is great for your immune system and can help you fight off viruses and bacteria that can cause disease.
Some diets even state that if you eat a grapefruit a day you will lose belly fat by night. Although claims of some magical fat-burning enzyme in grapefruits aren’t backed by research, studies have found grapefruit to be positively associated with weight loss.