Seedless, with seeds, green, purple, red and even yellow: grapes come in a variety of guises. They taste good on their own, in salads or bowls and are always on hand as a snack. But how healthy is the little grape – which, by the way, is botanically speaking a berry? Do grapes actually have antioxidant properties, and why are they so good for our digestive systems? Here at Dole, we are of course grape experts and can reveal all about this delicious fruit!

 

What do we know about grapes?

 

Although small in size, grapes are extremely healthy. For example, 100 g of grapes contain just 72 calories but also plenty of fibre, which is located in the seeds and in the skin of this sweet fruit. The fibre cannot be broken down by the human digestive system and it binds water. This means that grapes will keep you feeling full for longer (also because of their water content and the fruit acids they contain) and will stimulate your digestive system. Over the long-term, a high-fibre diet will help to prevent obesity, cardiovascular disease, bowel cancer and type 2 diabetes. So add a few grapes to your muesli in the morning and snack on this delicious fruit during the day. Anyone who loves creative lunch ideas that they can prepare and bring with them will be inspired by our pasta with grapes!

 

Another reason why grapes are so healthy is that they contain lots of phytochemicals, which act as antioxidants. Dark red and purple grapes in particular contain resveratrol, which may help to prevent arteriosclerosis, among other conditions. The flavonoid OPC (oligomeric procyanidin) protects our cells and boosts the absorption of vitamins C and E. The phytochemical quercetin also helps to protect cells and plays a role in vascular protection.

 

Grapes are also a good source of vitamin B6 and folic acid. The body needs vitamin B6 for protein metabolism, and folic acid plays an important role in all growth and development processes in the body. The vitamin E in grapes is good for skin, hair and nails. We need calcium and phosphorus for strong bones and teeth; potassium is important for normal cell, nerve and muscle function and the iron in grapes is needed by the body to form red blood cells.

 

And we mustn’t forget that grapes contain a lot of fruit sugar (fructose), which means that this little round fruit appeals to young and old fruit fans. Thanks to the fructose, grapes will also provide you with energy quickly – perfect when you are exercising or need a snack in between meals.

 

Feel like getting the full grape power? They why not try our flammkuchen with turkey bacon and colourful grapes, our toast with grape chutney and feta, our delicious grape and granola cups or our quick spinach and grape smoothie.

 

Have a GRAPE day!

 

Your Dole team