One of the oldest cultivated fruits in the world, grapes have been grown by humans since the Neolithic era. Spanish explorers first brought them to the Americas almost 500 years ago.
The average American eats more than 8.5 pounds of fresh grapes a year — despite the fact that grapes often get the side-eye for their sweetness. But grapes contain more than 1,600 health-supporting phytonutrients, including quercetin and resveratrol. Studies have found that these phytonutrients can assist with arterial health, osteoarthritis, bladder function, and more.
Grapes are technically berries, and some varieties contain abundant anthocyanins, the plant compounds responsible for the deep reds, blues, purples, and other vibrant hues of those fruits.
Grapes are rich sources of copper and vitamin K as well as fiber, most of which is concentrated in the skin. “Grapes may have more sugar than some fruits, but grapes also have a high ratio of skin to pulp, and everyone eats the skin, which has most of the fiber, which helps moderate the effects on blood-sugar levels,” says Linda Shiue, MD, author of Spicebox Kitchen.
Nutritional Highlights and Protein Pairing
- Good source of: vitamin K and copper
- Ideal protein pairings: Walnuts, almonds, and pretty much all cheeses
In Defense of Fruit
In the race to embrace low-carb eating, many health-conscious people have been eschewing fruit, pointing to the carbohydrates and their implication in the onset of many chronic diseases. But a lot of experts consider the backlash against fruit misguided. Learn more at “Why Eating Fruit Is Still Good for You,” from which this article was excerpted.
