There is a great deal of publicity about the health benefits of drinking red wine, but health benefits also abound in the red grapes that the wine is made from. According to the Agricultural Research Service of the USDA, red grapes are loaded with nutrients that can help fight cancer and age-related diseases. Once you are aware of the nutritional value of red grapes, you may want to start adding them to your dietary routine.
Resveratrol
This is the major polyphenol (natural plant compound) found in red grapes and their skin. A report in the Italian journal, Pharmacological Research, states that resveratrol helps prevent heart disease, and stops or reverses the growth of cancer cells. This same study shows that resveratrol helps regulate inflammation responses in the body. Inflammation is linked to several diseases, from arthritis to Crohn's disease. Resveratrol was even found in a study at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago to protect cartilage and help prevent arthritis, as well as have a positive impact on the treatment of degenerative disc disease. With the high concentration of resveratrol in the skins and flesh of the red grape, that should be enough of a reason to add them to the diet, yet the good news doesn't stop there.
More Polyphenols
The Journal of Environmental Pathology, Toxicology and Oncology reports that red grapes are abundant in polyphenols, and that these polyphenols show great anti-tumor and anti-cancer activity. Some of these polyphenols are quercetin, catechin, saponins and the above mentioned resveratrol. The Journal of Nutrition published a report stating that the polyphenols in grapes lowered the risk of cardiovascular disease in women, and they did this through lowering cholesterol, triglycerides and inflammation. Protection from heart disease, cancer, inflammation and high cholesterol makes a handful of red grapes even more appealing.
Nutritional Facts
According to the World's Healthiest Foods encyclopedia, red grapes offer additional nutritional benefits with 3.68mg of vitamin C per 1 cup serving. Manganese, a necessary mineral for many functions in the body, is available in grapes at the rate of 0.66mg per 1 cup serving. That is actually 33 percent of the daily recommended value. Vitamin B1, B6 and potassium, all available at 5 percent of the RDA, round out the nutritional value of 1 cup of red grapes. For dieters, that 1 cup contains 62 calories, a trace of sodium, almost a gram of fiber, and 16 carbs, all from natural sugars.
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