Many people love to eat grapefruit, and its nutritional value is also very high. However, there are some taboos when eating grapefruit, and some special groups should not eat it!
Grapefruit is highly nutritious, containing very rich protein, organic acids, and essential elements for the human body such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, etc., which is difficult for other fruits to match. The pulp of grapefruit is also rich in components like vitamin C and insulin-like substances, which have effects such as lowering blood sugar, lowering blood lipids, weight loss, and beautifying the skin.
Regular consumption can have a辅助 therapeutic effect on diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and arteriosclerosis, and has the function of strengthening the body and beautifying the skin for obese people. In addition, grapefruit contains physiologically active substances naringin, which can reduce blood viscosity and reduce thrombosis, thus it also has a preventive effect on cerebrovascular diseases.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, grapefruit is sweet and sour in taste and cold in nature. It has the effects of regulating qi, resolving phlegm, moistening the lungs, clearing the intestines, nourishing blood, and strengthening the spleen. It is a good fruit for nourishing the lungs in autumn and winter and relieving cough after a cold.
I. Taboos on eating grapefruit
1. Grapefruit cannot be taken with certain medications.
Clinical studies have found that when a patient with hyperlipemia takes one tablet of Mevastatin with a glass of grapefruit juice, the effect is equivalent to taking 12-15 tablets of the same drug with a glass of water to lower blood lipids. The patient may experience muscle pain, and even kidney damage.
Some patients taking the antihistamine terfenadine, if they eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice, may experience mild symptoms such as dizziness, palpitations, and arrhythmia, and in severe cases, sudden death may occur.
Other drugs that have adverse interactions with grapefruit include: cyclosporine, caffeine, calcium antagonists, cisapride, etc. The possibility of an interaction with drugs after drinking a glass of grapefruit juice can last for 24 hours.
Therefore, patients taking medication, especially the elderly, should not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice.
2. Women taking contraceptive pills should avoid it.
A US study shows that the effect of grapefruit on contraceptive pills is most prominent.
Experts say, "If a woman who has taken a contraceptive pill eats 1-2 grapefruits after sexual intercourse, or directly takes the contraceptive pill with a large glass of grapefruit juice, she may become a mother. The reason is that grapefruit hinders the absorption of the contraceptive pill by women."
3. Grapefruit is cold in nature. People with a weak spleen and diarrhea will have diarrhea if they eat grapefruit.
Therefore, people with a cold body constitution should not eat too much. Often using grapefruit to reduce internal heat can also lead to symptoms like diarrhea if overdone.
II. Four major functions and effects of grapefruit peel
1. Boiling grapefruit peel in water to treat pediatric pneumonia
After eating the grapefruit, save the peel and let it dry. Put a few pieces into a pot with water and boil (the pieces should not be too small, otherwise the medicinal effect will be reduced, but they should not be too large). Don't use too much water (just like when decocting Chinese medicine). After boiling it several times, pour the boiled soup into a bowl for the child to drink. It will get better after drinking it several times.
2. Boiling grapefruit peel in water to treat chilblains
Boil dried grapefruit peel in water until it is very concentrated. Use this hot water to apply to the chilblains area, but avoid areas where the skin is broken. Pay attention to the temperature of the hot compress. At the beginning, the towel should not be too hot; you can shake off the steam before applying. After the chilblains area adapts, gradually increase the temperature. At the highest temperature, you can directly apply the towel taken from the pot. This method requires patience and long-term persistence (even after it's healed, it's best to persist until the end of this winter). It can promote the recovery of chilblains and effectively prevent or reduce the recurrence next year. If the chilblains area is not broken, you can add a few dried chili peppers. The pot and towel are best used exclusively. The boiled water does not need to be replaced, but it must be boiled every time, and the boiling time should be extended when adding new water.
3. Preserved grapefruit sugar
Method: Peel off the outer skin, making sure to peel off all the green parts, otherwise it will be a bit bitter. Then cut it into strips horizontally, and try to cut them thin. Boil it in boiling water for a while, then soak it in cold water for one or two days. During this time, change the water once or twice. When changing the water, be sure to squeeze out the water from the peel first before putting it in new water (this can remove the bitterness). After one or two days, squeeze the water out of the peel, let it dry for a bit, and set it aside. Then boil some white sugar until it becomes watery (you can also add some chili if you like it spicy). Put the peel in and cook together for a while. This way, you have made grapefruit sugar.
4. Stuffed Grapefruit Peel
The method is similar to the one above, but instead, cut the peel into three or four pieces, into triangles. Then, carefully cut a small opening in each piece with a small knife to put the prepared filling in (the filling can be according to your taste, you can use the same one you usually use for stuffed tofu). Remember to boil it in boiling water, soak it in cold water for one or two days, squeeze out the water, and then stuff it. Then just cook it until it's done.