Fruitopia...starting with Grapes...

In the last blog, I talked to you about my fettish with cupcakes and what I experienced in San Francisco. Lest you think poorly of me (as if you could…lol), I would like for you to know that I also ate sweets that were full of nutrients….fruit. While in San Francisco, I went to Pier 39 on the bay. There was a small market (like a farmer’s market) outside that had a variety of fresh fruit. I took pictures of all the fruit I could, though I only bought some strawberries (I will talk about the strawberries in another post). However, I thought that today I would talk about the beautiful grapes I saw….

I like grapes. They are sweet, taste good, and are filling. In view of the picture above, the grapes looked so much better in person…better than what you see at your local grocer. Here are 4 things you may not know concerning grapes and their health benefits (tablegrape.com):

1.       Grapes may exert certain physiological benefits in protection against atherosclerosis, and coronary heart disease (Frankel, Meyer, 1998). Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death for U.S. men and women.

2.       Grapes may help lower blood pressure. About 1/3 of individuals have high blood pressure. Having high blood pressure may increase your risk of other diseases like stroke and heart disease.

3.       Grapes may help protect you against certain types of cancers. The American Cancer Society (2011) says that half of all men and a third of all women will develop cancer during their lifetimes. So it is important to use preventive measures (eating healthy, not smoking, being physically active) in order to reduce your chances of getting cancer.

4.       Grapes may promote brain/mental health. The Alzheimer’s Association (2011) states that  Alzheimer’s (attacks brain; most common form of dementia) is the sixth-leading cause of death in the country.

So in review of the health information above, I would say grapes are a great sweet that might help with your sweet tooth while providing health benefits at the same time. Plus, nutrition-wise, it is fat free, and low in calories (half a cup is about 55 calories). That is all I have for today…until next time…

References:

Frankel, E., Meyer, A.(1998). Antioxidants in grapes and grape juices and their potential health effects. Pharmaceutical Biology, 36SS, 14-20.

Fresh Grapes and Health. Retrieved November 2, 2011 from http://www.tablegrape.com/researchgrants.php.

Cancer. Retrieved November 2, 2011 from http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/CancerBasics/what-is-cancer.

Alzheimer’s Disease. Retrieved November 2, 2011 from http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_alzheimers_disease.asp.