Nutritional Information for Grapes

Posted by Joseph Gonzales
 

Grapes provide antioxidants like resveratrol, catechins, anthocyanins, polyphenols, and flavonols. These antioxidants have been heavily researched in the lab and although they show promising results it’s difficult to know precisely how they impact human health. Since food is a packaged deal, meaning it contains multiple antioxidants and nutrients, eating grapes in the whole fruit form is recommended over supplements.

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Benefits of Grapes

Cancer Prevention Benefits

Resveratrol has been found to inhibit inflammatory pathways in prostate cancer cells. Researchers have documented hundreds of cell studies noting how effective resveratrol can be against prostate cancer, however, there is not enough evidence to prove taking straight up resveratrol supplements is safe for everyone. Eating grapes on the other hand is completely safe and encouraged. The National Cancer Institute and American Institute for Cancer Research suggests  five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day. The antioxidants from whole foods like grapes have the ability to quench cancer growth.

Men's Health Benefits

Those with pre to mild high blood pressure prescribed to 200 mg of a red grape powder daily for 12 weeks showed a drop in blood pressure and oxidative stress. Since it’s hard to know exactly what’s in “red grape powder” it’s best to eat whole grapes. Research says “Phytochemically, whole grapes represent a natural combination of resveratrol and other phytonutrients, as it contains several catechins, anthocyanins, polyphenols, and flavonols. Recent research has suggested that whole-grape products may help in maintaining heart health and protect against aging, aging-associated diseases, neurodegeneration, and some cancers” The flavonoids in grapes may boost metabolism helping to slim waste lines.

 

Ways to Use Grapes

  • Enjoy on their own! These make a hydrating summer treat or pack them in a bag for an easy travel or hiking snack.
  • Freeze the grapes and enjoy as a cool refreshing treat.
  • Add grapes to smoothies.
  • Toss sliced grapes into a chickpea salad or a green salad.
  • Add them to fruit kabobs or fruit salad.
  • Make a wild rice salad with grapes, cashews, and chickpeas.
Resources for Grapes

American Institute for Cancer Research: www.aicr.org

“Foods that Fight Cancer” from AICR: Grapes

Nutrition Facts: www.NutritionFacts.org

Physicians Committee: www.pcrm.org

USDA Nutrient Database: Grapes

Citations
  1. Lee M, Kundu J, Keum Y, Cho Y, Surh Y, Choi B..Resveratrol Inhibits IL-6-Induced Transcriptional Activity of AR and STAT3 in Human Prostate CancerLNCaP-FGC Cells.Biomol Ther (Seoul). 2014;22(5):426-30.
  2. Aggarwal B, Bhardwaj A, Aggarwal R, Seeram N, Shishodia S, Takada Y.Role of resveratrol in prevention and therapy of cancer: preclinical and clinical studies. Anticancer Res. 2004;24(5A):2783-840.
  3. Singh C, Liu X, Ahmad N. Resveratrol, in its natural combination in whole grape, for health promotion and disease management. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2015;1348(1):150-60.
  4. Vaisman N, Niv E. Daily consumption of red grape cell powder in a dietary dose improves cardiovascular parameters: a double blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2015;66(3):342-9.
  5. Hollis J, Houchins J, Blumberg J, Mattes R. Effects of concord grape juice on appetite, diet, body weight, lipid profile, and antioxidant status of adults. J Am Coll Nutr. 2009;28(5):574-82.
  6. Chong M, Macdonald R, Lovegrove J. Fruit polyphenols and CVD risk: a review of human intervention studies. Br J Nutr. 2010;104 Suppl 3:S28-39.

 

Posted by Joseph Gonzales

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