Leticia Pickering

Nutrition 302

Dr. Zemel

18 February, 2008

Grapefruit: The new “Super Fruit”?

Each day, consumers are bombarded with thousands of health claims, each based

on varying levels of scientific research and fact. One health claim that has begun to

appear in magazines is produced by Florida Grapefruit and suggests that grapefruit can be

considered a ‘super fruit’, meaning that it “contains a substantial number of nutrients

compared to its total calories” (reference). The advertisement asserts that grapefruit juice

is high in vitamin C, potassium, and folate, all of which could contribute to healthy skin

and healthy weight maintenance. Many factors are presented as possible reasons that

grapefruit juice offers benefits superior to those of other popular fruit juices. One concept

that seemed to be emphasized was that of nutrient density.

Nutrient density is “a measure of nutrients provided per calorie of food or the

ratio of the amount of a nutrient in foods to the energy provided by these same foods”

(reference). While this concept provides valuable information as to a food’s nutrient

content, it raises questions as to how the nutrient density might be measured and

compared. The Journal of Food Science recently published a study that answers these

questions. In the study, the researchers first sought out to establish a consistent method

for determining the nutrient density of foods, while taking into account their different

caloric values in relation to a set serving size.

 In this study, tests were conducted on 240 mL samples of seven different fruit

juices. Six different methodologies were used and accounted for the different ratios that

might be considered to represent nutrient density. Nutrient density was also evaluated in

reference to the Daily Values set forth by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The

results showed that citrus fruit juices show higher nutrient density than many other types

of fruit juice. Among the citrus fruit juices, grapefruit juice showed to be the most

nutrient dense, with the highest percent daily value for vitamin C potassium. “A major

factor contributing to higher nutrient density scores for citrus juices is energy content.

Citrus juices, particularly grapefruit juice, were lower in calories on a per serving basis

compared to other juices”(reference). What does this mean for the consumer?

Consumers can take this research to indicate that a balanced diet rich in grapefruit and

other nutrient dense foods can indeed support a healthy appearance and strong immune

system. Of course, it would be foolish to rely on grapefruit as the sole source for the

essential nutrients needed to maintain a healthy lifestyle, but