Q: Is it true that red grapefruit is higher in antioxidants than white grapefruit?

A: Not necessarily. All grapefruit is an excellent source of vitamin C, which acts as an antioxidant. All types also supply compounds called flavonoids, including naringinin. In animal and cell studies, naringinin decreases growth and increases self-destruction of colon, mouth, skin, lung, breast and stomach cancers. It decreases inflammation and increases enzymes that deactivate carcinogens. In some research, white grapefruit has higher levels of naringinin than red grapefruit, but content varies among individual fruits. The amount of naringinin may depend more on how much of the white material surrounding grapefruit sections is consumed than on the color of the grapefruit. Red and pink grapefruit do provide beta-carotene and a compound called lycopene not found in white grapefruit. Lycopene is a carotenoid – a pigment that's a "cousin" to beta-carotene. It cannot form vitamin A like beta-carotene can, but it is actually a much stronger antioxidant. Especially for those who don't eat tomatoes frequently, choosing red or pink grapefruit makes good sense; the darker the red, the higher the lycopene content. Still, all types of grapefruit are healthy choices that provide a variety of compounds that promote health, both as antioxidants and through other mechanisms.