RED GRAPEFRUIT APPEARS TO LOWER CHOLESTEROL, FIGHT HEART DISEASE.

A grapefruit a day – particularly the red variety – can help keep heart disease at bay, according to a new study by Israeli researchers. In a controlled study group of patients with heart disease, the scientists found that feeding some patients the equivalent of one grapefruit daily significantly reduced levels of cholesterol in comparison to patients that did not eat grapefruit. Chronic high blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease. According to the study leader, Shela Gorinstein, Ph.D., a chief scientist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, it is likely that antioxidants in the grapefruits are responsible for their health benefits, particularly the red variety. (The American Chemical Society, Feb. 2006)