Grapes: Invigorates the heart and improves blood flow
GRAPES ARE, after the orange, the most cultivated fruit in the world. Unfortunately only a small percentage of the crop is eaten as fruit; most is destined for the production of alcoholic beverages,particularly wine.
Grapes constitute an essential component of the Mediterranean diet, and even of the regional culture. It is for good reason that they have been cultivated in the warm lands surrounding the sea for thousands of years.
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| Natural health talk tips Grapes |
PROPERTIES AND INDICATIONS: Two types of nutrients stand out in the grape's composition: sugars and B complex vitamins. On the other hand, grapes supply few proteins and fats. Grapes proteins, although scare, contain all essential amino acids. Minerals are present in moderate amounts. These are the grape's components that merit special discussion:
- Sugars are present in proportions that vary between 15% and 30%. Grapes grown in cold regions tend to have lower sugar content, while those from hot dry climates are much sweeter. The muscatel grapes is the sweetest of the 3,000 varieties production in the world. The two most abundant sugars in grapes are GLUCOSE and FRUCTOSE. From a chemical standpoint, these are MONOSACCHARIDES or simple sugars that are capable of passing directly to the bloodstream without need for digestion. This is in contrast with other types of sugar such as saccharose (found in sugarcane, sugar beets, or bananas) , or lactose found in milk, which must be digested in the intestine before they can pass into the blood.
2. Vitamins:With 0.11 mg/100 g of vitamin B6, grapes are among the richest fresh fruit in this vitamin, surpassed only by tropical fruits such as avocados, bananas, cherimoyas,guavas, and mangoes. Vitamins B1,B2,and B3 or niacin are also present in amounts that are greater than those of most fresh fruits.
Grapes also contains significant amounts of provitamin A (7 ug RE/100 g), vitamin C (10.8 mg/100 g) and vitamin E (0.7 mg/100 g).
3. Minerals: Potassium and iron are the most abundant minerals in grapes, although they also contain calcium, phosphorus and copper.
4. Fiber: Grapes contain around 1% soluble vegetable fiber (Pectin), a significant amount for a fresh fruit.
5. Non-nutritive substances: Grapes contain numerous chemical substances that do not fit into any of the classical groups of nutrients, but exercise a great deal of functions within the body, many of which are still not understood. These substances are also known as PHYTOCHEMICALS.
- Organic acids: These gives a slight tart flavour to grapes. These acids have a paradixical effect in the blood, producing ALKALINIZATION (a process known in chemistry as an amphoteric effect). Alkalization of the blood and urine facilitates the elimination of metabolic wastes, which are mostly acidic, such as uric acid.
- Floavoniods: The flavonoinds contained in grapes dare phenols. It has recently been shown that they acts as powerful antioxidants, which impede the oxidation of the cholesterol that causes arteriosclerosis. Flavonoids also avoid the formation of blood clots in the arteries.Quercetin is the most important flavonoid in grapes.
Benefits of Grapes
- Resveratrol: This is a phenolic substance present in the skin of grapes that acts as a fungicide and, above all, is an antioxidant, which impedes the progress of arteriosclerosis. It has recently been shown to be a powerful anticarcinogen.
- Anthocyanidines: These are vegetable pigments present in the skins of white, and particularly black grapes. They are powerful antioxidants able to prevent coronary heart diseases.
- Cardiovascular disease in general: Grapes are highly recommended for any cardiac conditions because:
- Grapes are rich in potassium and also contain calcium and magnesium, minerals involved in cardiac contractions.
- Additionally, grapes contain virtually no sodium or saturated fat, the two primary enemies of the cardiovascular system.
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