Grapes

When you think of a popular fruit with lots of nutritional benefits; think grapes. The fruit which is a berry; is either consumed fresh or as wine, jam, juice, jelly or grape seed oil.

This “fine fruit vine” makes one of the most desirable beverages in the world. This wonderful fruit has lots of medicinal value which makes it one of the healthiest fruits for a variety of reasons. It contains 17% of the daily value of vitamin K, and 33% in Manganese. It has the ability to protect against colon and prostate cancers, coronary heart diseases, degenerative nerve diseases, and even Alzheimer’s. Grapes come in black, purple and green colours.

Eating fruits and vegetables of all kinds has long been associated with reduced risk of heart diseases, diabetes, cancer and other conditions. Consumption of plant foods like grapes decreases the risk of obesity and overall mortality.

Grapes have been associated with reducing the risk of the following diseases.

-        Cancer

-        Coronary Heart disease

-        High blood pressure

-        Constipation

-        Allergies

-        Diabetes

-        Acne

-        Skin problems

-        Improves   brain and eyes development

-        Its good for the knees

The average serving size of a bunch of grapes is about one cup or 32 pieces. As a useful measure, you can use the size of your fist to estimate the proper portion size of grapes.

One cup of red or green grapes contains 104 calories, 1.09grams of protein, 0.24 grams of fat, 1.4 grams of fiber, 4.8 milligrams of vitamin C, 10 micrograms of vitamin A, 288 milligrams of Potassium, 0.54 milligrams of iron and 3 micrograms of foliate. Grapes are high in water content and good for hydration. Grapes contain 70 milliliters of fluid per cup.

Grapes can be sliced in half and added to salads.

You can make your own fresh cocktail using grapes and other fruits. They can also be frozen and eaten as a snack or desserts on a hot day. Grapes are known as the queens of fruits.

By Maimuna Bagudu