Grapefruit is a large bitter-sweet citrus that arose by chance in Barbados in the eighteenth century, a cross between pomelo and sweet orange. Its name comes from the way the fruit hangs in clusters like grapes. Grapefruit juice can raise blood levels of many common medicines. In Indian markets the Hindi name chakotra is used more often for pomelo, the larger, thicker-skinned parent.
- Botanical name
- Citrus × paradisi Macfad.
- Family
- Rutaceae
- Tamil
- Grapefruit
- Hindi
- Grapefruit
- Parts used
- Ripe fruit
- Habit
- Hybrid citrus; the large bitter-sweet fruit is cuisine, not a diet capsule
- Last updated
- 2026-10-27
How to recognise Grapefruit
It is an evergreen tree with dense, glossy, dark green leaves on stalks that have small wings.
Fragrant white flowers grow singly or in small clusters.
The fruit is round and yellow, ten to fifteen centimetres across, often hanging in groups.
Flesh may be pale yellow, pink or deep red depending on the variety, and is juicy, tart and slightly bitter.
Pomelo, Citrus maxima, is bigger, with a much thicker rind and drier, sweeter segments.
Traditional use of Grapefruit
Kitchen
Halved grapefruit is eaten with a spoon at breakfast, and the juice is drunk fresh or canned.
American and European food practice
Kitchen
Segments go into salads with chilli and salt, much as pomelo is eaten in South-east Asia.
Tropical food practice
Modern notes on Grapefruit
Grapefruit contains furanocoumarins, mainly bergamottin, that block an enzyme in the gut wall, so some drugs enter the blood at much higher levels.
The effect was found by accident in 1989, when researchers used grapefruit juice to mask the taste of alcohol in a blood-pressure drug study.
Drugs affected include some statins, some blood-pressure drugs, some anti-rejection medicines and some anti-anxiety drugs, and one glass can act for a day or more.
Pink and red varieties contain lycopene, and the bitterness comes mainly from naringin.
Grapefruit safety
If you take regular medicines, ask a doctor or pharmacist whether grapefruit is safe before eating it. Pomelo and bitter orange can have the same effect.
Ecology and sourcing
It needs heat to sweeten, so the best fruit comes from hot regions such as Florida, Texas and Israel.
Its scented flowers are visited by bees.
Frost damages the tree, and seedlings can take many years to fruit, so orchards are grafted.
Related plants
Also in Rutaceae
Questions about Grapefruit
Why can grapefruit affect medicines?
It blocks a gut enzyme that normally breaks down some drugs.
Is chakotra grapefruit?
Usually not. Chakotra in Indian markets is mostly pomelo.
Why is Grapefruit called grapefruit?
The fruit grows in clusters like grapes.
Is pink grapefruit different?
It is the same species with lycopene-coloured flesh.
Where did Grapefruit come from?
It arose as a natural hybrid in Barbados in the 1700s.
Sources
- Citrus × paradisi Macfad. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q41350 (Citrus × paradisi)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.