A grape is a fruit usually having a small round shape. It is classified as a berry. Grapes exist in different colors i.e. green, yellow, red, purple, and black. They are native to the Middle East where they were 1st cultivated about 8,000 years ago. Due to their healthy nutritional profile, grapes are part of healthy diets worldwide. In this article, I will talk about the nutritional benefits of grapes.
Read more: Essential nutrients in pomegranate
Grapes are one of the nourishing foods. The key nutrient in grapes is resveratrol that provides multiple health benefits. Resveratrol is shown (in many studies) to help prevent cardiovascular diseases, cancer, high blood pressure, eye problems, and skin issues. Besides, grapes are also a good source of water, potassium, fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin K which are essential for our health. Similarly, the energy provided by 100 grams of grapes is 69 Kcal.
Have a look at: 10 miraculous health benefits of mango fruit
Nutritional profile of grapes:
Grapes are packed with nutrients. They are an excellent source of water, carbohydrates, fiber, and a range of vitamins and minerals. According to the dietary guidelines of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 100 grams of grapes contain the following nutrients:
- Water = 80.5 g
- Energy = 69 Kcal
- Carbohydrates = 18.1 g
- Total sugars = 15.5 g
- Fiber = 0.9 g
- Protein = 0.72 g
- Total lipids (fat) = 0.16 g
- Vitamin C = 3.2 mg
- Vitamin K = 14.6 µg
- Thiamine(Vitamin B1) = 0.069 mg
- Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) = 0.07 mg
- Niacin (Vitamin B3) = 0.188 mg
- Vitamin B6 = 0.086 mg
- Potassium = 191 mg
- Phosphorus = 20 mg
- Calcium = 10 mg
- Magnesium = 7 mg
- Sodium = 2mg
Learn about: 7 essential nutrients in mango that are good for your health
What are the Nutritional Benefits of Grapes?
Grapes are full of nutritional benefits. Even scientific evidence shows that they prevent several diseases. Just imagine! this small little fruit fights big diseases like cancer, blood pressure, diabetes, heart diseases, and so on. Let’s see what the researchers and scientists say about the nutritious benefits of grapes!
Read about: 8 significant health benefits of pomegranate
Hypertension:
Hypertension is a condition in which the blood pressure is higher than normal. This disease is a silent killer. One of the main causes of hypertension is the excessive use of salt/sodium.
The American Heart Association (AHA) suggests including more potassium in the diet while reducing sodium intake. This change in the diet can have a positive impact on blood pressure and heart health.
Fortunately, the nutritional chart of grapes shows that the ratio of potassium is way too much in relation to that of sodium in grapes, which is a good sign for those who suffer from high blood pressure.
Heart Health:
In the same manner, potassium is also helpful in preventing heart diseases. In fact, people with high potassium intake are less likely to die from cardiovascular diseases. For instance;
An extended research study concludes that adults who had high potassium and low sodium intake in their diets had a lower risk of mortality than those with less potassium intake.
In addition, a special compound in grapes namely resveratrol plays a role in controlling the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Cancer:
The antioxidants such as resveratrol, quercetin, and a couple of other compounds are responsible for the anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer benefits of grapes. Different research studies found that grape extract reduced the spread of liver, stomach, skin, breast, and colon cancers in humans.
Diabetes:
You might guess that this fruit is not for diabetics because of its high sugar content. But amazingly, grapes are suitable for diabetics. As per the instructions of the American Diabetes Association, diabetics can consume grapes and other fruits as long as the carbs count is maintained in their diet plan.
Grapes have a low glycemic index i.e. 53. When the glycemic index of any food is less than 55, it is considered good for diabetics.
Get to know about: Pomegranate for diabetics; Should you include pomegranate in your diet?
Eye Health:
Grapes contain the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin that contribute to eye health. These antioxidants lower oxidative stress, neutralize free radicals, prevent damage to the retina, and much more. Likewise, laboratory studies link the resveratrol in grapes to the prevention of eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts, and age-related macular degeneration. However, more research is still needed.
Skin:
Resveratrol is a full package of health benefits. Interestingly, it also has an antibacterial activity that can help in the treatment of acne. A study suggests that using grapes with Benzoyl Peroxide as a topical treatment is effective for acne.
Besides, grapes are also rich in vitamin C and vitamin K, both of which are essential nutrients for healthy skin.
Know more about: 5 Mango benefits for skin; How mango can enhance the beauty of your skin?
Constipation:
As the nutritional chart indicates, the water content of grapes is very high. 100 g of grapes contain 80 g of water. This can help keep the body hydrated. On top of that, there is enough fiber in grapes as well. Both water and fiber are useful in relieving constipation.
Summary:
Grapes are juicy and delicious. 100 g of grapes provide 69 kcal energy. They contain several essential nutrients that provide crucial health benefits. Resveratrol is one of the main compounds in grapes that is responsible for multiple nutritional benefits. Moreover, grapes are also recommended to diabetics because of their low glycemic index.
Disclaimer:
All the health-related information/articles on bloggeristic.com are generic, provided only for the purpose of general knowledge, and should not be taken as a substitute for the medical advice of healthcare professionals. Please note that this information is based on research but if you have any serious health concerns do contact your doctor.
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