Grapes are sometimes the great forgotten when it comes to choosing fruits, that is why today we want to give them all the prominence they deserve. Grapes are an inexhaustible source of benefits for the body, from protecting the heart, to having diuretic properties and helping us to stay young and beautiful for longer.
If we like grapes, regardless of the variety, then we are in luck, and if we are one of those who do not give them the opportunity that this fruit deserves, surely today we are all convinced by knowing the nutritional values, the maximum quantity, how add the grape to our day to day, its many benefits and also its contraindications.
Nutritional values of grapes
Grapes are an exceptional fruit and not only for their properties, which we will learn about later, but for their nutritional values.
This ancient fruit has a very varied nutritional table, although it is not a very rich fruit in nutrients, it does have a bit of everything and that is what makes it exceptional.
To get to the heart of the matter, grapes have 68 kilocalories per 100 grams of product , no fat, 0.6 grams of protein, almost 83% is water, 0.9 grams of soluble fiber, 16 grams of hydrates carbon and no cholesterol.
Apart from this, being a fruit, the vitamins and minerals that 100 grams of grapes provide cannot be lacking. We must clarify that the 100 grams does not correspond to the maximum daily amount, but is a standardized measure in the market to check the nutritional values.
100 grams of grapes provide vitamin A, group B and C, as well as essential minerals such as potassium, copper, iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, sulfur, zinc and selenium.
Maximum quantity and recipe ideas
The maximum amount of a food depends on what it contributes, since we must eat in proportion to avoid excesses. An excess of vitamins or minerals is almost as bad as a shortage. Extremis in food (and in life in general) are never good.
Based on this, about 12 grapes a day are recommended and we can either eat them without further ado, directly from the bunch, or add them to some type of recipe. Not without first having washed them thoroughly, to eliminate possible fertilizers and toxins that their outer skin contains.
Among the other fun and healthy ways to eat grapes, beyond the fruit skewers, the fruit salads, or directly from the bunch, we find sponge cakes with apple and grape flan, pheasant stewed with grapes, scrambled with chistorras, grilled mackerel with Grape sauce, meatballs with grape sauces (muscat grapes for that strong touch), grape bread, chicken roll with apple, walnuts, grapes and plums, in salads with goat cheese, etc.
Benefits of grapes
The properties of grapes are multiplied if we have a good varied diet and a healthy lifestyle. According to the scientific and medical community, you have to take 5 pieces of fruit and vegetables a day, this causes the amount of meat foods to be greatly reduced. It is also convenient to reduce sugars, ultra-processed, salt and saturated fats.
Purifying properties
Grapes are considered diuretic and it is because they help to naturally eliminate excess fluids and toxins from the body. This is thanks to the fact that more than 80% is water and it also contains other alkaline elements that stimulate the liver, balancing the acidity of the blood.
This property or benefit of grapes improves the function of the kidneys , also taking into account that grapes have potassium and organic acids that help the kidneys to cleanse the body. Let’s say that grapes favor diuretic action, but they also help in all parts of the process.
Powerful antioxidant for the skin
Grapes appear as an ingredient in many cosmetic products, not only in food, and this is due to their exceptional antioxidant power. More specifically, black grapes are rich in anthocyanins (helps to block free radicals) and white grapes in quercetin. In one way or another, this fruit can cope with oxidative stress that makes our skin so aging.
This is why grapes are considered an elixir of eternal youth, and that is why having a glass of wine a day also has so many good benefits.
Heart-healthy
Grapes to take care of the heart, and more specifically the arteries, since one of the beneficial properties of this fruit is that it favors vasodilation and reduces the risk of thrombosis . Thanks to potassium, blood pressure is reduced, so grapes are perfect for any age, especially for older adults, as long as a doctor does not say otherwise.
Take care of eye health
The sense of sight is one of the most valuable senses and one of the most valued by us, however, there are times that we do not take care of it as it deserves. By taking grapes, we are absorbing anthocyanins that will help us prevent degenerative eye diseases, unless they are genetic, in that case they could be delayed, but there is not much probability.
In other words, taking grapes daily helps us maintain visual acuity for longer, but let’s not forget to accompany this, with a balanced diet and a visit to the ophthalmologist, we can prevent numerous damage to sight.
Most common contraindications
Grapes are delicious and there are a multitude of ways to eat them, as we have already seen, but there are also contraindications and they are not few. We are going to highlight the most important ones to keep them always present in case we are part of some of these groups.
Like everything, if consumed in excess it can cause digestive problems such as gas, stomach pain, diarrhea, heartburn, reflux, etc. To prevent this, it is best not to go overboard with the quantities, that is why before we said that we did not recommend more than 12 grapes, but it is true that we can eat up to 30, but that quantity is already above the risk.
In case of being diabetic, grapes are a natural source of sugar and excess of this fruit can harm us, since it could cause a sudden rise in blood glucose.
If we are pregnant or breastfeeding, grapes can be consumed, as long as the doctor does not say otherwise, but only in very small quantities, less than the 12 that we have recommended.
