Speciality Utensil

There seems to be conflicting information about eating grapefruit.  The most recent article I read sang the praises of eating pink grapefruit, but not yellow fruit.  The message in the article seemed to boil down to, '....the more reddish color, the better.'

The bigger concern seems to be the cautionary messages printed in packets of dispensed medications warning patients about possible drug interactions concerns.  While grapefruit are applauded for providing vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber and "good heart" nutrients, doctors do not seem to be sure what chemicals are in grapefruit that cause problems.  They do know that the grapefruit does not react specifically with the pill, but instead something in the grapefruit binds to an enzyme in the intestine which apparently allows more of the medication to be absorbed into the system. 

A list of the most affected drugs can be found on several websites.  All of these suggest switching to oranges or orange juice, not taking medication with a juice, whenever possible allow as much time as possible to lapse between taking the affected medications and consuming any grapefruit products and talking to a trusted healthcare provider. 

It seems that for those who do eat grapefruit, any color, it is an acquired taste.  My first introduction to the fruit was at a relative's house and the most intriguing part of the breakfast was the unique spoon that seemed to be essential to the dining process.  One side of the bowl of the spoon was smooth and looked like an elongated, triangular shaped teaspoon.  The other side, however, was was serrated with little, jagged teeth - providing a symmetrical border to the smooth side - except for those teeth!

I grew to understand, over time, how coveted the grapefruit spoon was, because it seems impossible to find them anywhere.  Clearly, they are not a required utensil for consuming grapefruit, as I once thought, but they sure were a handy tool for extracting all of the fruit and leaving the section walls behind.   Have you ever seen one of these treasured spoons?