Grapes are a delicious and snackable fruit that has been cultivated for thousands of years. They are grown in temperate climates all around the world and come in green, red, black, yellow, and pink varieties. Grapes are eaten whole, made into juice and wine, and dried to make raisins.
They may be one of the most versatile fruits around, but grapes are more than just sweet snacks that can get you tipsy when fermented.
Grapes also have an impressive nutritional profile. They contain a high amount of vitamins C and K, as well as thiamine, riboflavin, potassium, vitamin B6, copper, and manganese. In one cup, you’ll also get 1.1 grams of protein and 1.4 grams of fiber. All that goodness can lower your risk of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, so getting some daily grape is an excellent habit to have.
Following are some of the most impressive things that can happen when you eat grapes every day. Give it two months and we think you’ll be hooked. Wait until you see #3!
1. Disease Prevention
Antioxidants are highly beneficial compounds that help repair cellular damage caused by harmful free radicals. Unless neutralized by antioxidants, free radicals create oxidative stress that is associated with chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Grapes contain many types of antioxidants, primarily in the skin.
Red grapes have the highest level of antioxidants, including the polyphenol resveratrol, which has been credited with significant heart-healthy benefits. It also regulates blood sugar and lowers your risk of developing cancer and diabetes. Resveratrol is just one of many antioxidants in grapes, though. They also contain vitamin C, beta-carotene, lutein, quercetin, lycopene, and ellagic acid, among others.
2. Better Eye Health
The beneficial compounds in grapes may also help protect your eyes from common degenerative diseases. The resveratrol in red grapes has been found to reduce the risk of glaucoma, cataracts, and diabetic eye disease.
In test tube studies, resveratrol also protected human retinal cells from damage due to ultraviolet light. Minimizing that damage can potentially prevent the development of macular degeneration. Grapes also contain a pair of antioxidants called lutein and zeaxanthin that further shield your eye health, especially from the blue light that comes from your phone.
3. Slower Aging
We all want to feel young for as long as possible, and grapes can help get us there. Certain plant compounds found in grapes, including resveratrol, have been found to affect aging and lifespan. Resveratrol activates a gene called SIRT1 that has been linked to a longer lifespan in animal studies.
While resveratrol handles your insides, the vitamin C in grapes helps to keep your skin healthy. It plays an important part in the production of collagen, the substance that keeps skin smooth, elastic, and wrinkle-free.
4. Decreased Inflammation
Chronic inflammation is the hallmark of diseases like arthritis, but is actually a factor in every disease. The swelling is an important immune response in some circumstances, but when it occurs in error or becomes chronic, it can cause damage to your cells. That may open the door for cancer, heart disease, and other autoimmune disorders.
Grape powder has featured in several studies that look at inflammation. In one study of 24 men with metabolic syndrome (a group of risk factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease), a daily dose of grape powder equivalent to 1.5 cups of fresh grapes was found to significantly raise the level of anti-inflammatory compounds in their bloodstream.
5. Sharper Memory
Several interesting studies have looked at the effect of grapes on learning and memory. One 12-week study done on 111 healthy older adults found that 250 mg of a grape supplement each day noticeably improved upon baseline scores for a cognitive test. The test measured memory, language ability, and attention.
Another study revealed that 8 ounces of grape juice per day can both boost your mood and increase your speed of memory recall. (But we will always recommend whole grapes over the juice alone because you need the fiber to prevent blood sugar spikes.) More research is ongoing to determine if grapes may help ward off Alzheimer’s disease.
6. Improved Bone Health
Grapes provide many of the minerals critical to bone health, vitamin K being chief among them. Vitamin K plays a strong role in keeping calcium inside your bones, preventing it from leaching out into the bloodstream.
In a nice kind of synergy, grapes also contain some calcium, as well as phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, and manganese. Rat studies have shown that resveratrol can lead to improved bone density, too, but further studies in humans are necessary to confirm this.
7. Bolstered Immune System
Your immune system primarily works to fight off foreign invaders in your body, such as bacterial or viral infections. But more than just waging war once you are sick, a strong immune system can actually repel bugs before they get you. And with a daily dose of grapes, you too can become one of those annoying people who never seem to come down with the seasonal cold or flu. Forget about an apple a day.
There are several compounds in grapes that can protect against viral and bacterial infections, including good old vitamin C and the magnificent resveratrol. Other compounds in grapes have actually been found in test tube studies to stop yeast infections, the herpes virus, and chicken pox from taking hold. Grapes may also offer some protection against food-borne illnesses.
Conclusion
The near-magic of grapes lies in their potent combination of vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, and antioxidants. From disease prevention to better memory to a longer life, there is little that grapes can’t do. And even better, they are sweet and delicious yet don’t spike your blood sugar when you eat them.
Whether whole or dried (raisins), red or green, it’s a snap to toss grapes in your lunch bag or onto your breakfast plate. During the summer months, frozen grapes are a nice treat. They can even be used to chill drinks without watering them down like ice does.
And while grape juice doesn’t contain any of the fiber present in whole grapes, the red variety does contain resveratrol. So does red wine! With this many ways to enjoy grapes, and so many health benefits to doing so, you’ll want to keep some on hand at all times.