Grapefruit is one of the most popular fruits. We know some of its benefits, but is it also high in potassium?
That's an important question for those of us who want to boost our potassium intake, but also for those on a low-potassium diet.
Table of Contents
- Is grapefruit high in potassium?
- How much potassium is in grapefruit?
- Nutrition Facts: Half a Grapefruit, Pink & Red
- Is grapefruit good for you?
- Which has more potassium: grapefruit or orange?
- Which has more potassium: grapefruit or banana?
- Can you take in too much potassium from grapefruit?
- Can you eat grapefruit on a low-potassium diet?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
Is grapefruit high in potassium?
Grapefruit isn't high in potassium because half a grapefruit has only around 3% of your recommended daily potassium intake.
For comparison, one small banana contains around 10%. However, grapefruit is low in calories and has 15+ beneficial vitamins and minerals. It's also high in fiber.
Can You Check Your Potassium Level at Home?
How much potassium is in grapefruit?
Half of the pink and red grapefruit, which is what most people would eat for breakfast, contains 166 mg of potassium or around 4% of recommended daily intake.
On the other hand, white grapefruit and pink, red, and white grapefruit have somewhat more, 174 mg and 178 mg, respectively.
Eating half a grapefruit won't boost your potassium intake by much, but eating a whole grapefruit might. That's why people following a low-potassium diet should be watching how much they're eating and stick to half of a grapefruit or less.
Here's the breakdown per half a grapefruit serving:
- White grapefruit 174 mg
- Pink and red grapefruit 166 mg
- Pink, red, and white grapefruit 178 mg
Keep on reading to find out what benefits grapefruit has, i.e., if it's actually good for you, what has more potassium, grapefruit or orange, and can you take in too much potassium from grapefruit?
Nutrition Facts: Half a Grapefruit, Pink & Red
- 52 Calories
- Total Fat 0.2 g 0%
- Saturated fat 0 g 0%
- Cholesterol 0 mg 0%
- Sodium 0 mg 0%
- Potassium 166.1 mg 4%
- Total Carbohydrate 13 g 4%
- Dietary fiber 2 g 8%
- Sugar 8 g
- Protein 0.9 g 1%
- Vitamin C 64%
- Calcium 2%
- Iron 0%
- Vitamin D 0%
- Vitamin B6 5%
- Vitamin B12 0%
- Magnesium 2%
RELATED: Is Pork Meat High In Potassium?
Is grapefruit good for you?
Grapefruit is indeed good for you. Here are some of the reasons why it's so popular and beneficial:
1. Grapefruit is good for the immune system
It's a popular trope that grapefruit is good for fighting the common cold. However, several studies have indeed shown that vitamin C in grapefruit can help you recover more quickly.
Other vitamins and minerals that are abundant in grapefruit are known to benefit the immune system and help protect against inflammation and infectious diseases.
2. Grapefruit is high in antioxidants
Grapefruit has many important antioxidants, such as lycopene, beta-carotene, and flavanones. Lycopene can help prevent certain types of cancer, including prostate cancer. Beta-carotene helps reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, and macular degeneration.
Flavanones have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels and blood pressure, thus reducing the risk of developing heart disease.
3. Grapefruit is great for hydration
If you hate drinking water but still want to hydrate your body by eating something delicious, you'll be happy to know that half a grapefruit contains around 4 oz of water.
Which has more potassium: grapefruit or orange?
Generally, an orange would have more potassium than a grapefruit, in a pound-per-pound comparison. A serving of 3.5 oz (100 g) of orange would have around 181 mg of potassium, while a white grapefruit (the one variety with the most potassium) would have 148 mg.
Orange also has more vitamin C and more fiber than grapefruit.
| 100 g | Orange | Grapefruit |
| Calories | 47 | 33 |
| Carbohydrates | 12 g | 11 g |
| Protein | 0.9 g | 0.8 g |
| Fat | 0.1 g | 0.1 g |
| Fiber | 2.4 g | 1.1 g |
| Potassium | 181 mg | 148 mg |
| Vitamin C (%DV) | 88% | 55% |
| Vitamin B6 (%DV) | 5% | 0% |
| Calcium (%DV) | 4% | 1% |
| Iron (%DV) | 0% | 0% |
| Magnesium (%DV) | 2% | 2% |
| Vitamin D (%DV) | 0% | 0% |
Which has more potassium: grapefruit or banana?
A banana, which is known for its high-potassium content, has almost three times as much potassium as the same amount of grapefruit: 358 mg per 100 g for bananas versus 135 to 148 mg for grapefruit.
| 100 g | Banana | Grapefruit |
| Calories | 89 | 33 |
| Carbohydrates | 23 g | 11 g |
| Protein | 1.1 g | 0.8 g |
| Fat | 0.3 g | 0.1 g |
| Fiber | 2.6 g | 1.1 g |
| Potassium | 358 mg | 148 mg |
| Vitamin C (%DV) | 14% | 55% |
| Vitamin B6 (%DV) | 20% | 0% |
| Calcium (%DV) | 0% | 1% |
| Iron (%DV) | 1% | 0% |
| Magnesium (%DV) | 6% | 2% |
| Vitamin D (%DV) | 0% | 0% |
Can you take in too much potassium from grapefruit?
Although grapefruit typically isn't high in potassium, you could be getting too much potassium from a grapefruit if you're eating other high-potassium foods, as well.
Half of a grapefruit has between 166 and 178 mg of potassium, depending on the variety. That's only around 3.5% of DV for adults and between 5.6 and 8.5% for low-potassium diet followers (2,000–3,000 mg per day).
Can you eat grapefruit on a low-potassium diet?
Grapefruit is an excellent low-calorie fruit that's high in vitamin C, fiber, and other vitamins and minerals, and anyone should probably be eating some each day.
It can also be safely consumed on a low-potassium, kidney-friendly diet, as long as you don't eat too much of it now that we know how much potassium it contains.
Frequently Asked Questions
Grapefruit juice is high in potassium because one cup contains around 400 mg of potassium, which is almost 10% of the recommended daily intake of potassium for adults. Although that's less than what orange juice packs, it's still quite a lot.
Grapefruits aren't keto-friendly due to their high carb and low-fat content. However, you can still consume a quarter of a grapefruit and intake only 4 g of carbs. That way, you'll still benefit from other grapefruit health advantages.
Grapefruit can last quite a long time in the fridge. Anywhere between three and six+ weeks. If you leave it at room temperature, that will cut quite dramatically to one or two weeks.
Conclusion
Sour and delicious, grapefruit is a popular fruit choice for many, and for good reasons. It's loaded with vitamin C and fiber, has a respectable amount of potassium (not too much or too little), is 88% water, and thus has few calories but a lot of life-giving water.
Don't know which foods are high in potassium? Read our article, 15 Best Food Sources of Potassium. We also have a guide to this important mineral: Potassium 101: All You Need To Know About Potassium.
Source: USDA