Just as eating the wrong foods might have gotten you into some trouble with inflammation, consuming the right ones can turn things around for you. Scientists have found that certain food chemicals can help minimize the inflammation that can lead to cancer, and two of these compounds have been making headlines recently for their ability to starve prostate cancer when combined with turmeric: red grapes and apples, as previously noted. Here Melissa Groves, HealthLine.com, reflects on top health benefits of eating grapes:

“Grapes have been cultivated for thousands of years and have been revered by several ancient civilizations for their use in winemaking.

There are many types of grapes including green, red, black, yellow and pink. They grow in clusters and come in seeded and seedless varieties.

Grapes are grown in temperate climates across the world, including Southern Europe, Africa, Australia and North and South America. The majority of grapes grown in the US are from California.

Grapes offer a wealth of health benefits due to their high nutrient and antioxidant contents.

Here are the top 12 health benefits of eating grapes.

Packed With Nutrients, Especially Vitamin C and K

Grapes are high in several important nutrients.

One cup (151 grams) of red or green grapes contains the following nutrients (1):

• Calories: 104
• Carbs: 27.3 grams
• Protein: 1.1 grams
• Fat: 0.2 grams
• Fiber: 1.4 grams
• Vitamin C: 27% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)
• Vitamin K: 28% of the RDI
• Thiamine: 7% of the RDI
• Riboflavin: 6% of the RDI
• Vitamin B6: 6% of the RDI
• Potassium: 8% of the RDI
• Copper: 10% of the RDI
• Manganese: 5% of the RDI

One cup (151 grams) of grapes provides more than a quarter of the RDI for vitamin K, a fat-soluble vitamin vital for blood clotting and healthy bones (2).

They’re also a good source of vitamin C, an essential nutrient and powerful antioxidant necessary for connective tissue health (3).

High Antioxidant Contents May Prevent Chronic Diseases

Antioxidants are compounds found in plants, for example. They help repair the damage to your cells caused by free radicals, which are harmful molecules that cause oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress has been associated with several chronic diseases including diabetes, cancer and heart disease (4Trusted Source).

Grapes are high in a number of powerful antioxidant compounds. In fact, over 1,600 beneficial plant compounds have been identified in this fruit (5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).

The highest concentration of antioxidants is found in the skin and seeds. For this reason, most of the research on grapes has been done using seed or skin extracts (7Trusted Source).

Red grapes contain higher numbers of antioxidants due to the anthocyanins that give them their color (5Trusted Source).

The antioxidants in grapes remain present even after fermentation, which is why red wine is also high in these compounds (8Trusted Source).

One of the antioxidants in this fruit is resveratrol, which is classified as a polyphenol.

Numerous studies have been performed on its benefits, showing that resveratrol protects against heart disease, lowers blood sugar and protects against the development of cancer (9Trusted Source).

Grapes also contain vitamin C, beta-carotene, quercetin, lutein, lycopene and ellagic acid, which are powerful antioxidants as well (6Trusted Source).

May Decrease Blood Sugar Levels and Protect Against Diabetes

Grapes contain 23 grams of sugar per cup (151 grams), which may make you wonder if they’re a good choice for people with diabetes (1).

They have a low glycemic index (GI) of 53, a measure of how quickly a food raises blood sugar.

Furthermore, compounds found in grapes may even decrease blood sugar levels. In a 16-week study in 38 men, those who took 20 grams of grape extract per day experienced decreased blood sugar levels, compared to a control group (24Trusted Source).

Additionally, resveratrol has been shown to increase insulin sensitivity, which may improve your body’s ability to use glucose and hence lower blood sugar levels (25Trusted Source).

Resveratrol also increases the number of glucose receptors on cell membranes, which may have a beneficial effect on blood sugar (26Trusted Source).

Managing your blood sugar levels over time is an important factor in reducing your risk of diabetes.”

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Read More … Article Source: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-grapes#TOC_TITLE_HDR_6