February is celebrated as the month of many food holidays, but one that might surprise many is its designation as National Grapefruit Month. This may be because grapefruits have become extremely unpopular over the past few decades.

During the 1970s, grapefruit was at the height of its popularity, with 25 pounds consumed by every person in the U.S. Today, that number has dropped to only 2.5 pounds per person.

The decline in popularity is attributed not only to people disliking the taste but also to the fact that grapefruits can intensify the effects of certain medications. That being said, there are still plenty of people who love grapefruit, and if you’re one of them, you might want to celebrate during this month.

Sweet Facts About Grapefruits

We feel that grapefruits get a bad rap. After all, they were one of the most popular fruits from the 1930s through the 1970s, helped in part by the fad Grapefruit Diet.

That’s why we’ve decided to take it upon ourselves to remind people of what made grapefruits great, and we did that by listing some sweet facts about them. Let’s take a quick look at these facts before continuing with the rest of National Grapefruit Month.

• The grapefruit was named by a Jamaican farmer who noted that grapefruits grew in clusters like grapes.
• The Ruby Red Grapefruit was the first variety to receive a U.S. patent.
• The Ruby Red Grapefruit was accidentally discovered by a citrus grower in Texas in 1929.
• The Grapefruit Diet is also known as the 18-Day Diet.
• Grapefruits come in one of three colors: red, pink, or white.
• Although grapefruit trees can grow to 50 feet, most growers keep them between 15 and 25 feet to make them more manageable.
• Grapefruit is hand-picked when ripe.
• Grapefruits are the official fruit of Texas.

Observing National Grapefruit Month

This month can be easily observed by simply enjoying some grapefruit with your breakfast. Grapefruit can also be used to make smoothies, added to salads, used in a glaze for ham or salmon, or made into sorbet.

People can also use the hashtag #NationalGrapefruitMonth to spread the word about this citrus fruit. However, there are two things we must warn people about. First, keep in mind that grapefruit can accelerate the effects of certain medications, which can be extremely dangerous.

That’s why, whenever a person wants to eat grapefruit, they should check with their doctor. Another thing to remember is that the Grapefruit Diet is a fad diet, so we recommend people avoid dieting using this method.