Purple grapes can do more than add a few nutrients to your daily intake. This age-old fruit is as mysterious as it is delicious, potentially offering health benefits everyone should take seriously. Learning the nutritional value of purple grapes will do more than improve your diet -- it just might extend your life.
Macronutrients
Seedless purple grapes provide 110 calories per one cup serving, 0.3 grams of fat, 29 grams of carbohydrates and 1.2 grams of protein. The total carb content includes 1.4 grams of dietary fiber and 24.8 grams of sugar. As a side note, no RDA standard exists for sugar in the diet, but choosing one cup of grapes over candy to curb a sweet tooth is a nutritionally valuable decision, considering the amounts of food involved. You consume less for more calories and get little to no nutritional value with candy.
Micronutrients
One cup of purple grapes contains 9 milligrams of phosphorus and less than 1 milligram of vitamin C and thiamine. Purple grapes are also a decent source of calcium, providing 13 milligrams per cup. You do not have to fret over the sodium content when snacking on purple grapes, as one cup contains a mere 2 milligrams of sodium.
Resveratrol
Resveratrol, which is found in high concentrations in red wine, is also found in fresh purple grapes. Resveratrol in grapes, according to a 2009 study in the "Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology," has been linked to heart health. Harvard Medical News also has investigated the possibility that resveratrol in grapes is associated with an increased lifespan, although this theory has yet to be tested on human subjects.
History
Evidence indicates grapes have been around since at least 1,000 B.C., but firm documentation of purple grapes' existence begins in 1854, when this variety emerged in Massachusetts. Currently, 336,000 tons are grown and harvested in the United States. It is used in a variety of foods, such as jelly, juice and wine, giving consumers a variety of options and opportunities to benefit from its nutrients.
References
- LIVESTRONG: Black (or Purple) Grapes
- Concord Grape Association: 2010
- Harvard Medical; "Small Molecule Increases Lifespan and 'Healthspan' of Obese Mice"; November 2006
- "Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology"; "Grapes, Wines, Resveratrol and Heart Health"; A.A. Bertelli et al.; December 2009
- News Medical: Resveratrol in Wines and Grapes
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