Red Grape, Nutrient Booster

Red seedless table grapes not only make for a healthful snack, they are tasty additions to smoothies, salads, and desserts. Include red seedless grapes, technically classified as botanical berries, in your meal plan to give your diet a nutrient boost.

There are more than 200 varieties of red grapes all over the world. Red varieties include red globe, cardinal, emperor, and flame seedless. This sweet, tiny and juicy fruit has numerous health, skin care, and hair care benefits.

People throughout history have consumed grapes for their potential health benefits. In the beginning of the 20th century, a grape diet was thought to prevent or cure cancer and other illnesses. This belief may have stemmed from the findings of Johanna Brandt, a South American dietitian who claimed to have cured her stomach cancer by following the diet. However, no scientific evidence has proven that eating grapes, either as part of a grape diet or in conjunction with other healthy foods, can prevent or cure cancer or other illness. Despite this fact, red grapes do have several health benefits and make a nutritious snack.

Nutrition Facts

Red grapes are relatively low in calories and are fat and cholesterol free. A 1-cup serving of red grapes contains only 104 calories, yet still provides 1 g of protein and 1 g of fiber. However, this serving also contains 27 g of total carbohydrates, 23 g of which come from sugar.

Vitamins

Red grapes are a good source of several vitamins. One serving of red grapes offers 16 mg of vitamin C, which is about 27 percent of the daily value, based on a 2,000-calorie diet. It also contains 22 mcg of vitamin K and 0.4 mg of thiamin, which is about 28 percent and 27 percent of the daily value, respectfully. Red grapes also contain small amounts of vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin K, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6, folate, beta carotene and alpha carotene. These nutrients help your body processes function properly, and many vitamins, such as vitamin A, have antioxidant properties which may help reduce the risk for certain help problems.

Minerals

Red grapes are also rich in several minerals. A 1-cup serving of red grapes contains 288 mg of potassium, 0.2 mg of copper, 0.1 mg of manganese and 0.5 of iron -- 10 percent of the daily value of potassium and copper, 5 percent of the daily value of manganese and 1 percent of the daily value of iron. Red grapes also contain small amounts of calcium, magnesium, zinc and selenium.

Fights Age-Related Diseases

Resveratrol, a substance found in grapes, is linked to protection against certain diseases. These include type 2 diabetes, cancer and heart disease, all conditions that typically affect people as they get older. An article published in "Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences" in July 2013 reported evidence of resveratrol's potential effectiveness as a treatment for cardiovascular diseases and some cancers.

Antioxidant Power

Consuming red grapes provides your body with antioxidants -- powerful substances that protect your body against free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can damage cells. A study published in "BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine" in July 2013 revealed that red grapes may prevent oxidative damage because they contain antioxidants and antiglycation. Glycation is a protein cross-linking process that leads to harmful consequences, which may contribute to the development of many age-related diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases, cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

Reference:
http://woman.thenest.com/red-seedless-grapes-healthy-6134.html
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/benefits-eating-fresh-red-seedless-grapes-5309.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/346122-what-are-the-benefits-of-eating-fresh-red-seedless-grapes/