{"id":301099,"date":"2025-11-19T11:45:40","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T11:45:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/301099\/"},"modified":"2025-11-19T11:45:40","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T11:45:40","slug":"4-reasons-why-grapes-are-the-fruit-for-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/301099\/","title":{"rendered":"4 reasons why grapes are the fruit for you"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fruits have long held a place of prominence on our plates. Whether enjoyed plain as a snack, tossed into salads, blended into smoothies<\/a> or baked into desserts, we love them for their vibrant color, natural sweetness, hydrating qualities and abundance of nutrients.<\/p>\n

Grapes are among America\u2019s favorite fruits, ranking just behind bananas<\/a>, berries and apples, according to the International Fresh Produce Association<\/a>‘s list of the top 20 fruits and vegetables sold in the United States.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople love grapes for being a sweet and healthy treat that provide a great source of fiber, antioxidants<\/a> and key nutrients,\u201d says Kristina Cooke, a licensed nutritionist and registered dietitian with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Their simplicity is also appealing \u2013 just rinse and pop a few in your mouth. And grapes have the added advantage of serving as the foundation for raisins, juice and of course, wine.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a look at how many varieties of grapes exist, why the fruit is so good for you and when moderation still matters.<\/p>\n

How many varieties of grapes are there?<\/p>\n

Estimates vary, but reports indicate<\/a>\u00a0there are some 10,000 distinct grapevine varieties\u00a0cultivated worldwide. That includes grapes used for wine, table consumption, raisins<\/a> and juice production \u2013 though only a small percentage are commercially significant.<\/p>\n

In fact, just 13 grape varieties<\/a>\u00a0account for more than 1\/3 of the world\u2019s vineyard area, while 33 others cover about half. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay\u00a0grapes are among the most popular for winemaking.<\/p>\n

No matter what they’re used for, “grapes come in many colors, including green, red, black, yellow, pink and purple,” says Abbie Gellman, a registered dietitian and New York City\u2013based chef<\/a>. “And table grapes also have different flavor profiles \u2013 from ‘cotton candy’ to ‘grape jam’ to ‘champagne’ and many others.”<\/p>\n

Among the most popular U.S. table (eating) varieties are Thompson Seedless\u00a0(green), Concord\u00a0(deep blue or purple), Sweet Jubilee\u00a0(black) and Flame Seedless\u00a0(red), and \u201c99%\u00a0of the grapes in the United States are grown and harvested in California, due to the dry heat,\u201d says Cooke.<\/p>\n

The U.S. fresh-grape season typically runs from late July through October, with some regions extending production of certain varieties through November or even January.<\/p>\n

Are raisins good for you? We asked a dietitian to break down the nutritional benefits.<\/a><\/p>\n

Are grapes good for you?<\/p>\n

Regardless of the variety you choose, grapes pack an impressive array of nutrients and bioactive compounds that support overall health. For instance, data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture<\/a>\u00a0shows that just over 1\/2 cup (100 grams) of green, seedless grapes provide roughly 80 calories, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 1.2\u00a0grams of dietary fiber<\/a> and notable amounts of key vitamins and minerals, including copper, potassium<\/a>, vitamin K and vitamin C \u2013 plus smaller amounts of B vitamins, vitamin A, phosphorous and magnesium.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrapes are an especially great source of copper, which helps create energy in the body,\u201d says Cooke, \u201cand vitamin K<\/a>, which is important for blood clotting.\u201d And the high amount of vitamin C in grapes supports immune function and helps the body absorb iron.<\/p>\n

Their high water and fiber content make grapes particularly good for hydration and digestive health, while also helping replace higher-calorie snacks.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd grapes are packed with flavonoids<\/a>, which are powerful antioxidants,\u201d says Gellman. Typically, \u201cthe stronger or darker the color of the grape, the higher the concentration of flavonoids,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Grapes also contain resveratrol, a polyphenolic compound found primarily in the skins of grapes, \u201cwhich helps fight aging and may slow the progression of some cancers,\u201d says Cooke.<\/p>\n

In case you missed: Flavonoids, or phytonutrients, are in lots of fruits and veggies. Here’s why you need them<\/a><\/p>\n

Can you eat grapes every day?<\/p>\n

While grapes are overwhelmingly good for you, a few considerations are worth noting. For one, their sweetness comes from natural sugars such as fructose and glucose, so eating large amounts can raise overall calorie and sugar intake \u2013 especially for those managing weight, insulin sensitivity or blood-glucose levels<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Their fiber content can also cause temporary digestive discomfort. \u201cHitting your GI tract with a double or triple portion of fiber can cause bloating, gas or other GI issues in some people,\u201d says Gellman.<\/p>\n

And since grapes are a significant source of vitamin K, \u201cthose on blood thinners<\/a> should speak to their medical provider to see if they\u2019re safe to consume while on blood-thinning medications,\u201d says Cooke. The same goes for individuals with kidney concerns, as grapes are relatively high in potassium.<\/p>\n

So long as these factors are kept in mind, grapes can absolutely be part of a balanced diet.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What are grapes good for? 4 reasons you should eat them<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Fruits have long held a place of prominence on our plates. Whether enjoyed plain as a snack, tossed…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":301100,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[61],"tags":[156603,156596,156599,97,156600,156602,156597,269,70235,156598,156601],"class_list":["post-301099","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nutrition","tag-abbie-gellman","tag-chardonnay-grapes","tag-grapes","tag-health","tag-international-fresh-produce-association","tag-juice-production","tag-kristina-cooke","tag-nutrition","tag-registered-dietitian","tag-seedless-grapes","tag-table-consumption"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301099","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=301099"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301099\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/301100"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=301099"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=301099"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=301099"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}