Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBenefits of GrapesGrapes NutritionGrape Types: Which Is Healthier?Who Should Avoid Grapes?
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Benefits of Grapes
Grapes Nutrition
Grape Types: Which Is Healthier?
Who Should Avoid Grapes?
There are many types of grapes, including red, green (white), and purple. In addition, some grapes are bred to be seedless.
This popular fruit is loaded with nutrients. Grapes have been associated with preventing cancer,heart disease,high blood pressure, andconstipation.
This article discusses grapes' health benefits and nutritional information and who should avoid them.
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Grapes are packed with nutrients and antioxidants, which link them to many benefits, including heart, gut, eye, and skin health.
Cancer
Grapes have promising anti-cancer properties, primarily due to their high antioxidant count. Antioxidants are compounds that fightfree radicalsin your body. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can damage DNA and cause cell mutations.
One study found that grape skin andgrape seed extracteffectively scavenge free radicals.Grape antioxidants were found to be promising against a broad range of cancer cells.
In another study on muscadine grape skin extract (MSKE), researchers found that MSKE inhibitsprostate cancercells and tumor growth.
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Heart Health
Theflavonoidsin grapes may make them so good for heart health. One review on the effect of grapes and other berries on cardiovascular health found that the fruit has protective benefits for the following:
All of these make grapes a beneficial addition to a heart-healthy diet.
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Blood Pressure
Grapes may also be a valuable addition to your diet if you need to lower your blood pressure. Researchers found that consuming grape products, especially whole grapes, reducedsystolic blood pressure(measuring your heart while pumping blood). However, it did not influence other heart-related markers.
Constipation
The high water, fructose, fiber, and phytochemicals in grapes make them an excellent choice for constipation. A diet study for constipation included grapes as a beneficial fruit due to theirhigh fiber content.
Allergies
Diabetes
Grapes may also help preventtype 2 diabetes. A meta-analysis found that specific fruits, including grapes, were significantly associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.However, greater consumption of fruit juice increased the risk.
If you want to reap the benefits of grapes in lowering your risk of diabetes, make sure you get your grapes in whole fruit form and not as juice.
In addition, a review of 29 clinical trials examined the effect of grapes on glycemic response.It found that grapes and grape product supplements significantly reducedinsulin resistance. This could also be good news for people with diabetes, but more research is needed to confirm these findings.
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Eye Health
There is also some evidence that grapes may be good for your eyes. One study found that regular consumption of grapes may improve older adults' eye health.
Other research found that the polyphenols in grapes are involved in minimizing eye defects, including:
Acne
Resveratrol, a micronutrient found in red grapes, is used in cosmetology and dermatology for acne treatment. In one study, resveratrol was found to have sustained antibacterial activity againstP. acnes, whereas benzoyl peroxide, a more commonly used antibacterial therapy for acne, had a short-term response.
Grapes are low in calories and high in many nutrients. However, they are also high in sugar. The following nutrients are in 1 cup of grapes:
Grapes come in many varieties. Between the different grape colors (green, red, black) and seeded and seedless grapes, it can be hard to know which is best.
While all grapes have similar nutrients, researchers have found the following varieties have particularly strong free radical-scavenging and antioxidant activities:
For most people, grapes are a healthy addition to their diets. Many people can enjoy grapes every day. However, some people should limit or avoid them.
Babies and small children should not eat whole grapes because they pose a choking hazard. If your child is under 2, you should remove the skin and cut grapes into quarters.
You should avoid eating grapes or grape products if you have a grape allergy. Additionally, those on a low-sugar diet should eat grapes in moderation.
Summary
Grapes are a nutritious fruit, full of antioxidants. Their wide-ranging benefits include cancer prevention and lowered risk of certain health conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes. The only downside of grapes is their high sugar content. Even so, eaten in moderation, this usually isn’t a problem for most people.
14 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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