8. You Could Reduce Your Risk of Kidney Stones
The kidneys filter waste products and send them off into the bladder along with the urine in order for the body to eliminate them.
Kidney stones develop as a result of waste materials from our diet and biological processes, building up in the kidneys and forming crystal-like substances. Over time, these crystals fuse together to make small stones.
And as anyone who’s had to pass a kidney stone in their urine will tell you, they’re extremely painful.
If they become too big to painfully pass, they can cause a blockage in the urinary system which is a serious health problem that often requires surgical intervention.
Most commonly, the main substance in kidney stones is a substance called oxalate which also binds to excess calcium. Grapefruits contain an organic acid called citric acid which has the capability of also binding with calcium, flushing it from the body, preventing the oxalate from forming large kidney stones.
The citric acid in grapefruits also increases the pH of the urine, making it more alkaline and therefore creating an undesirable environment for kidney stones to form. Go grapefruits!
Summary:Citric acid can help flush calcium and prevent kidney stones from forming.
