Grapes

Grapes, fresh and tasty

Fresh grapes are simple, fresh, tasty and are fantastic foods in today's menus.
This food is very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a very good source of Vitamin C and Vitamin K. A large portion of the calories in this food comes from sugars.

Eating Grapes Does Your Heart Good

Until recently, research on the heart-protective benefits of grapes has focused mainly on wine and grape juice. But what about grapes eaten fresh, known as table grapes?

A growing body of research suggests that the polyphenols found in table grapes are largely responsible for the benefits.

In a study published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, researchers at the University of Connecticut tested whether grapes and their component polyphenols are also heart-protective.

In this new study, researchers confirmed that grape polyphenols are effective antioxidants.

Table grape consumption improved blood flow and heart pumping capacity, and reduced the area of tissue death after a heart attack. Researchers attributed these effects mainly to the antioxidant effect of grapes.

For years, researchers have told us that drinking wine is good for the heart. More recently, grape juice was shown to help reduce susceptibility of LDL to oxidation and blood´s tendency to form dots. This latest research shows that fresh grapes also provide antioxidant protection.

(Shanghai Star January 7, 2003 )

Nutritional values
Grapes
One cup of grapes contains one gram of protein and 1.6 grams of dietary fiber.	Potassium - 176 mg Calcium - 13 mg Phosphorus - 9 mg Magnesium - 4.6 mg Iron - 0.4 mg Selenium - 0.3 mg Also contains trace amounts of zinc , manganese and copper .	Vitamin A - 92 IU Vitamin C - 3.7 mg Folate (important during pregnancy) - 3.6 mcg Vitamin B6 - 0.1 mg