Today’s Amazing Fact: Reduce the stroke risk with Grapes!

While Mango fruit is widely regarded  as the King of fruits, 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 like to include them as an integral part of our diet, be it in the form of fresh table fruits, juice, or in salads.

Grapes are extremely good for your health;The REsveratrol helps in reducing the risk of stroke and they also help to cure problems such as Alzheimer’s disease, asthma, constipation, heart diseases, indigestion, kidney diseases and migraine. Eating grapes will also minimise the risk of having a heart attack. 

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. 

Just before eating, wash the whole bunch to remove any pesticide residues and dust by rinsing in cold-water for several minutes. Place then in fresh cold water and gently swish them around few times. Pat dry using a soft cloth.

If you are not going to consume the whole bunch at one go, then separate it into small clusters using scissors. This way, you can keep the remaining fruit fresher by preventing the stem from drying out. Grape juice is a delicious juice drink

Although, its seeds are rich in nutrients, seedless grapes make recipes much more pleasant to eat. Enjoy them as they are without any additions. Add seedless berries in fruit/vegetable salads with peach, pear, tomato, lettuce, apricot , berries, currants, apple, pineapple etc.

Dry grapes (raisin, currant, and sultana) are being used in confectionary, puddings, cakes, muffins, bread, etc. The fruit can also be used by food industry for the preparation of jams, jellies, juice and wine. Some of the most common ways we use grapes is to eat them fresh, preserve them in cans, dry them into raisins, and crush them for wine or juice.

Grape growing is the largest food industry in the world as there are more than 60 species and 8000 varieties of grapes. All of them can be used to make juice and wine.

There are more than 72 million tons of grapes all together which means they are roughly 25 million acres of grapes in the world. It takes about 1.4kg of grapes (2½ pounds) to produce a single bottle of wine. One acre of grapes can produce an average of about 15,000 glasses of wine. So, use your maths skills (or a calculator) and times 25 million acres by 15000, and that's how many glasses of wine you would be able to get if you used up all the grapes in the world!

The average person eats eight pounds of grapes each year, although I wouldn't eat all that at once, eating too many grapes can give a laxative effect.

One grape vine can grow up to 15½ metres (50 feet long) and can have about 40 clusters of grapes; each grape cluster has an average of 75 grapes. Grapes are made up of 80% water, which make them a low calorie dessert or snack. Raisins (dried grapes) are made up of about 15% water. Fresh grapes can be stored in the fridge for two to three days, when kept wrapped up in either a plastic bag or a covered container.

Well so far this year, I've not touched a grape... although after realising the benefits it has, I might go to town and get some, or what do you think?