6 Ways Grapes Benefit Your Body That You Never knew About
A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant Genus Vitis.
Grapes can be eaten fresh as table grapes or they can be used for making wine, jam, grape juice, jelly, grape seed extract, raisins, vinegar, and grape seed oil. Also grapes contain antioxidants, vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin K.
FACT: Grapes have been cultivated for thousands of years and have been revered by several ancient civilizations for their use in winemaking. There are many types of grapes including green, red, black, yellow and pink. They grow in clusters and come in seeded and seedless varieties.
So, how do grapes fit into the superfood family?
The health benefits of grapes start right within the skin, where they contain phytonutrient, plant chemicals that contain disease-preventing compounds. Then, the health benefits extend to the fruit’s array of polyphenols, powerful antioxidants that fight a wide variety of cancers, Alzheimer’s and heart disease. The benefits hardly stop there, though. See how the humble grape can help these six areas of your body.
A diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables has been linked to a reduced risk of various conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and obesity.
Like other fruits and vegetables, grapes are a good source of fiber and water.
Antioxidants and other nutrients in grapes may make them particularly healthful, although more research is needed to confirm some of their benefits.
Here are some of the ways in which the nutrients in grapes may boost health.
1) Rejuventates the Skin
Filled with Vitamin C and antioxidants, grapes can help to revitalize your skin. In fact, they can even protect your skin from cancer-causing ultraviolet radiation and free radicals that can, on a lesser scale, cause wrinkles and dark spots.
The added Vitamin C is necessary for your skin to form collagen, which helps give your face that youthful firmness.
2) Benefits the Brain
Resveratrol is one health benefit of grapes that continues to impress!; this compound helps to fight against plaques and free radicals that can harm your brain and potentially cause Alzheimer’s. It also helps to increase blood flow to the brain, which increases your mental dexterity.
3) Boosts Energy
The complex carbohydrates found in grapes can give you a much-needed energy boost.
Often enjoyed by runners, grapes are known by those in-the-know as a source of almost instant energy. They’re the perfect pre-workout snack!
4) Promotes a Healthy Heart
The health benefits of grapes extend to your heart (and that’s why many people say red wine is heart-healthy!).
To get down to the nitty-gritty, grapes contain polyphenols that suppress atherosclerosis.
What is that? Just a fancy term for a type of heart disease that results from buildup of cholesterol in the artery walls of the heart and brain, no good!.
5) Brightens Eyes
The Vitamin A and lutein found in grapes can boost your eye health. While you’re probably familiar with Vitamin A, you may not be so much so with lutein. This is a substance found in a variety of veggies as well, and is collected by your retinas as a means to protect themselves against free radicals, which can cause unnecessary stress, damage and degeneration.
Also grapes can also help combat eye disease.
6) Strengthens Bones
Last (but certainly not least) manganese is a health benefit of grapes that helps to strengthen your bones.
What’s manganese? It’s actually a mineral already occurring in our bodies in small amounts.
It contributes to healthy bones (through allowing your body to better absorb calcium and also creating essential enzymes to build bones), but also boosts your metabolism, regulates hormones and normalizes your blood sugar.
READ ALSO: health benefits of watermelon
So, ready to work some grapes into your diet? You’ll never doubt the power of these tiny superfoods again!, feel free to share your personal opinions on this.
