Are you curious about the health benefits of grapes? Grapes are not just a yummy snack, they’re packed with many essential nutrients that are oh-so-good for you including vitamins, minerals, and powerful antioxidants. All of these nutrients can do some amazing things in your body like improving heart health, boosting immunity, improving your skin, and much more!
If you were wondering what eating grapes does for your body, then keep reading to learn all about the health benefits of grapes!
Grape Nutrition Facts
According to Food Data Central from the United States Department of Agriculture, 1 cup of raw grapes (92 grams) has:
- 62 Calories
- 0.3 Grams of Fat
- 0.6 Grams of Protein
- 16 Grams of Carbohydrates
- 15 Grams of Sugar
- .8 Grams of Fiber
Vitamins and Minerals in Grapes
In addition to the above basic nutrients, grapes are full of many beneficial vitamins and minerals including:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin K
- Calcium
- Choline
- Folate
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Manganese
- Potassium
Benefits of Eating Grapes
With so many different vitamins and minerals to nourish your body, grapes have a lot of great health benefits! Here are just some of the ways grapes can benefit your health.
Grapes Help Your Immune System
Vitamin C is one of the most important vitamins for supporting your immune system and grapes are a good source of vitamin C with 25% of your daily value per serving. Vitamin C helps support cellular function, including the function of white blood cells which are important for helping you fight off viral and bacterial infections.
Grapes are a good source of Vitamin A as well which is also good for supporting the immune system. A strong and healthy immune system means you’ll get sick less often and recover faster when you do.
Grapes Improve Digestion
Grapes are high in insoluble fiber which can help regulate bowel movements. The high water content in grapes is very good for helping relieve constipation and keeping everything moving through your digestive system. Green and red grapes are both low in acid and easy on stomach enzymes so they can help relieve Indigestion as well.
Grapes are Good For Your Skin
High in vitamin C, many antioxidants, and full of water, grapes are great for keeping you skin hydrated and healthy from the inside out. Good hydration is important for keeping your skin looking healthy and radiant. Vitamin C helps your skin form collagen which keeps it firm and gives you a youthful appearance. Vitamin C along with other antioxidants in grapes like resveratrol can also help reduce inflammation to keep your skin from looking puffy.
Grapes Give You Better Heart Health
Grapes are good for your heart in so many ways! They’re a good source of fiber and an antioxidant called pterostilbene which both help balance cholesterol levels. The saponins in grape skin can also prevent your body from absorbing cholesterol. Grapes are very low in sodium and high in potassium which is good for balancing blood pressure and lowering the risk of heart disease. Resveratrol, another antioxidant found in grapes, can protect your blood vessels from damage and prevent blood clots.
Grapes Protect Against Diabetes
Grapes often taste very sweet but they’re a low glycemic food so they won’t raise your blood sugar. They can actually help lower blood sugar and maintain your body’s insulin levels. Studies have shown that eating whole fruits regularly, including grapes, can help reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Grapes are a sweet snack you can feel good about enjoying!
Grapes Support Eye Health
Grapes have a lot of nutrients that support eye health and protect your vision including vitamin A, lutein, resveratrol, and zeaxanthin. These nutrients keep your eyes healthy and can protect them from damage caused by UV light. Zeaxanthin and lutein are especially good for protecting the macula (a small part of your retina in the back of your eye) from negative effects of blue light caused by spending a lot of time looking at electronic devices like computer screens and mobile phones.
Grapes Boost Brain Power
Resveratrol does so many great things, it keeps coming up! Not only is it good for reducing inflammation and protecting your eyes and heart, it can give your brain a boost and improve cognitive function as well. Resveratrol has been linked to improved cognitive health and increased blood flow to the brain.
Grapes Can Help Prevent Cancer
Many of the nutrients in grapes, including resveratrol and other antioxidants help reduce inflammation and protect against free radicals which helps reduce the risk of cancer. Free radicals stress the body and antioxidants fight off free radicals to reduce that stress
Grapes Strengthen Bones
Grapes are a good source of Vitamin A and Vitamin K which help grow and strengthen bones. A deficiency in Vitamin K is associated with increased risk of fractures. Just one cup of grapes gives you 20% of the Vitamin K your body needs in a day.
Grapes also contain Calcium which is very important for bone health, and Manganese which helps your body better absorb calcium and creates enzymes that are essential for building bones.
Grapes Help With Weight Loss
Grapes are full of water and high in fiber to keep you full. They also boost your metabolism helping you burn more calories. A few grapes can satisfy your sweet craving without adding very many calories so they’re great for adding to a weight loss diet. Try eating grapes with some protein like cheese or yogurt and a healthy fat like nuts or avocado to keep you full and satisfied for hours.
Which Color Grapes Are Best For You?
The healthiest grapes are the ones you’re most likely to eat. All grapes are good for you so you can’t go wrong choosing red, black, or green grapes. Whichever color you enjoy eating is great, they are all healthy choices! Red and black grapes have higher levels of some antioxidants including resveratrol so they do offer a slight edge when it comes to nutrition, but green grapes offer may of the same benefits as red and black grapes and they are a solid choice as well.
Different colors in foods are caused by different compounds that do different things in the body. It’s good to eat a variety of colors so you’re getting a variety of nutrients. This goes for all kinds of fruits and vegetables, including grapes!
Selecting and Storing Grapes
Now that you know all about the many health benefits of grapes, here are some tips for picking out the best ones at the store and how to take care of them once you bring them home. Choose grapes that are firm and plump. They shouldn’t be wrinkly or brown. Stems should be green and pliable, not brown and shriveled, with grapes securely attached. You can pick up a cluster and gently shake it to see if the grapes stay on. If a lot of grapes fall off, the grapes are not fresh and won’t last as long once you get them home.
If you see a white powdery coating on grapes that’s called bloom. It’s a natural way grapes protect themselves from moisture and decay. It’s perfectly healthy and safe to eat. Once you get them home, keep unwashed grapes in a bag or container in the refrigerator to help them stay fresh longer. Wash them right before use by rinsing with water for about 30-60 seconds.
How To Eat More Grapes
Do you want to get more grapes in your diet but you’re not sure how? Eating them by the handful is delicious, but there are a lot more ways you can enjoy grapes besides just eating them plain. Here are some suggestions on how you can eat more grapes in several different ways. Clink the links for recipes!
How to Add Grapes to Meals
- Serve with cheese and nuts
- Add them to yogurt with granola
- Make a green salad or fruit salad
- Mix into chicken salad
- Make them with Curry
- Add to smoothies
- Make fresh grape juice with a juicer
- Freeze them
Freezing grapes brings out their sweetness. Frozen grapes are a great alternative to popsicles for kids and adults alike. They are refreshing and delicious, especially on hot summer days!
Uses of Grapes
Grapes are commonly eaten raw but they have many other uses as well. Grape juice and of course wine are both very popular uses for grapes. Wine and grape juice both have many of the same health benefits as eating whole, raw grapes. Grape seeds are made into grapeseed oil that is high in vitamin E and omega-6 fatty acids. Grapes can be cooked for jellies and jams or dried into raisins as well.
Final Thoughts on The Health Benefits of Grapes
With so many important nutrients, there are a lot of health benefits of grapes! Grapes are a sweet and crunchy snack you can enjoy guilt free, knowing they are working hard to nourish your body while satisfying your sweet tooth. There are so many different ways to enjoy grapes, what’s your favorite way to eat them? Try one of the recipes and let us know how it goes!
Which color grapes are your favorite? We’d love to hear about it, leave us a note in the comments section! Excited for more grape content? Next, check out my grape vine page for more growing tips, care guides, recipes, and more!