What are the health benefits of grapes?

Red grapes, green grapes, purple grapes, seedless grapes, grape jelly, grape jam, grape juice... the ways to consume grapes are endless! And don't forget wine and raisins! This popular fruit's history goes back as far as 8,000 years, when grape vines were first cultivated in what is now the Middle East.

It may surprise you to hear that the humble grape is actually considered to be a berry. Seventy-two million tons of these berries are grown each year worldwide, with most of them being used to produce wine - 7.2 trillion gallons of wine per year, to be exact.7  http://twitdoc.com/view.asp?id=121927&sid=2M2V&ext=DOCX&lcl=Truth-About-Celluite-Joey-


The portability, texture, flavor and variety of grapes have made them a popular finger food in countries all over the world. The potential health benefits of consuming grapes are numerous, with past studies associating them with prevention of cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure and constipation.

This Medical News Today article on grapes provides a nutritional breakdown of the fruit and an in-depth look at their possible health benefits, how to incorporate more grapes into your diet, as well as any potential health risks associated with their consumption.

Nutritional breakdown of grapes
The average serving size for grapes is about one cup, or 32 grapes. As a useful measure, you can use the size of your fist to estimate the proper portion size for grapes.

A selection of grapes
One cup of red or green grapes contains 104 calories, 1.09 grams of protein, 0.24 grams of fat, 1.4 grams of fiber, 4.8 milligrams of vitamin C, 10 micrograms of vitamin A, 288 milligrams of potassium, 0.54 milligrams of iron and 3 micrograms of folate.3

Grapes are high in water content and good for hydration. High water-content fruits and vegetables are nutrient dense, meaning they provide a large amount of essential nutrients while containing few calories. Grapes contain 70 milliliters of fluid per cup.2

Grapes are high in antioxidants important for eye health such as lutein and zeaxanthin, and red grapes contain the phytochemical resveratrol in their skins, the antioxidant synonymous with wine known to lend protection from several chronic diseases and conditions. Grapes also boast the power of the flavonoids myricetin and quercetin which help the body to counter-act harmful free radical formation.