GRAPES NUTRITION FACTS

Grapes nutrition facts

Widely popular, grapes are regarded in many cultures as “the queen of fruits," since centuries. These tiny berries are the storehouse of numerous health promoting phyto-nutrients such as poly-phenolic antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. No wonder why many of us include them as an integral part of our diet, be it in the form of fresh table fruits, juice, or in salads!

Botanically, they are small round berries; grow in clusters on a perennial and deciduous woody vine of the genus: Vitis. Grapes are native to Europe and Mediterranean regions but now widely cultivated all around the world.

In structure, each berry features semi-translucent flesh encased in a smooth, thin skin. Some varieties contain edible seeds, while others are seedless. The color to the fruit is because of the presence of poly-phenolic pigments in them. Red or purple berries are rich in anthocyanins while white-green berries contain more of tannins, especially, catechin. Interestingly, these antioxidant compounds are densely concentrated on the skin and seeds!

The three main species of grapes grown around the world are; European (Vitis vinifera), North American (Vitis labrusca and Vitis rotundifolia), and French hybrids.

·         Some of popular green cultivars are Thompson seedless, sugarone, and calmeria.

·         Red varieties include emperor, red globe, cardinal, and flame seedless.

·         Concord and zinfandel are some of flavorful blue-black cultivars.

Commercially, many cultivars of grapes are grown for different purposes either eaten as table fruit, fresh or dried (raisin, currant, sultana) or in wine production.

Health benefits of grapes

§  Grapes are rich in polyphenolic phytochemical compound resveratrol. Resveratrol is one of the powerful anti-oxidant, which has been found to play a protective role against cancers of colon and prostate, coronary heart disease (CHD), degenerative nerve disease, Alzheimer's disease and viral/ fungal infections.

§  Resveratrol reduces stroke risk by altering the molecular mechanisms in the blood vessels. It does so firstly by reducing susceptibility of blood vessel damage through decreased activity of angiotensin (a systemic hormone causing blood vessel constriction that would otherwise elevate blood pressure) and secondly, through increased production of the vasodilator substance, nitric oxide (a beneficial compound that causes relaxation of blood vessels).

§  Anthocyanins are another class of polyphenolic anti-oxidants present abundantly in the red grapes. These phyto-chemicals have been found to have an anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, as well as anti-cancer activity.

§  Catechins, a type of flavonoid tannin group of anti-oxidants, found in the white/green varieties have also shown to possess these health-protective functions.

• In addition, the berries are very low in calories. 100 g fresh grapes just provide 69 calories but zero cholesterol levels.

§  Grapes are rich source of micronutrient minerals like copper, iron and manganese. Copper and manganese are an essential co-factor of antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Iron is especially concentrated more in raisins. In addition, 100 g of fresh grapes contain about 191 mg of health benefiting electrolyte, potassium.

§  They are an also good source of vitamin-C, vitamin A, vitamin K, carotenes, B-complex vitamins such as pyridoxine, riboflavin, and thiamin.

Source: www.nutrition-and-you.com/grapes.html

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DOWN MEMORY LANE

Grapes bring me down memory lane when I was a wee little girl of around 5 or 6. During one of those rare occasions, my dad (now late) decided to bring the whole family for a trip to town, now city of Kota Kinabalu.

We were a family of little means and that particular time, my dad must have acquired some money cos I remembered it was a joyful occasion. My mum, my younger sister and then my brother, who was the youngest then, excitedly woke up early in anticipation for that long walk to the main road where we would catch the bus downtown. My brother who was about 2, I think, was too young to walk and my dad would carry him on his shoulders.

Upon alighting from the bus, I was amazed at how big the town was. You see we seldom venture away from our kampong apart from going to that little town Inanam then and even that was rare. So we went to a stall to eat that biig bowl of mee soup and oh boy that was the tastiest food I have ever eaten ever, lol!

That meal was followed by a visit to a fruit market where rows and rows of fruits were sold, red apples, green apples, oranges, juicy grapes of various colours, green, red, purple.  I don't really know why we went there for I can't remember us buying anything other than going through that rows of juicy looking fruits. My mouth was watering every minute and I couldn't help but noticed those gorgeous looking grapes. So I tugged at my dad's hand and nervously whispered, "Pa, can I have some of those?" My dad didn't say anything but looked at me sadly and he looked at my mum. Mum said, "No, cos they are very expensive and we can't afford them." I nodded sadly and we started to walk away. I guessed my dad must have felt very sorry for me 'cos suddenly he stopped and asked the stall owner whether he could buy a small bunch of the grapes and how much would it cost.

I couldn't remember how much, but he managed to get a small bunch of the grapes and we happily divided it amongst us. It was the most delicious fruit I have tasted ever. I vowed to myself then, when I grow up, I would buy all the grapes that I can afford....haha..

Yours Truly with friends at a vineyard in Seddon, NZ.

Those are just harvested grapevines cultivated especially for wine-making. 

There were some left-over fruits on the vines and we just could not help popping them straight to our mouth. No worries, no pesticides were used.

Pic below:  Credit goes to my lovely friend Agnes for

 WatsApp-ing me this lovely picture of a vine in Perth Australia.  

She is home now and complaining about the weather hahaha.. 

Here is her WatsApp to me (I was already fast asleep) :

Agnes:  I niss the weather in Oz. Here I constantly feel sticky, bloody humid.

I brought back wine which is from a winery near the house. U c d tiny grapes. D vineyard is about 10 min from the hse. Food is good. Had kangaroo steak.

Me upon waking up: Adoii, sorry couldn't reply last nite I think I was fast zzzzzzzzzzz.  Love the grapevine pics. So green and fresh.

Hey what you mean your job here is done.... You still got plenty of work to do like accompany me go tamu (market) or eat ngiu cap (beef noodle soup).   hahaha.. (this is with reference to earlier conversation). We ere talking about some products that contain SLS which can cause cancer. I told her we shouldn't use the stuff then 'cos I want to live longer and she responded:   

Agnes:  Who cares, last last die also.

Me:      Hooii...hahaha.. but I want to last longer. 

Agnes: I don't know, I am ready to go. Siap already my job here..

Me:    Hey what you mean your job here is done.... You still got plenty of work to do

           like accompany me go tamu (market) or eat ngiu cap (beef noodle soup).  

Hahaha...crazy conversation... Agnes if you are reading this... so when you belanja me go eat ngiu cap?