Vitamins and Minerals Found Inside Grapes

Grapes are loaded with nutrients our bodies seek, Grapes can be both nutritious and delicious when juiced alone and with other ingredients. Here are a few of the questions we attempt to answer about Grapes.

• What vitamins in Grapes make grapes so good for us?
• What is the best method for juicing Grapes?
• What are some great buying tips for Grapes?

Plus, we'll do our best to provide some general information about grapes that you might not find so easily elsewhere on the Internet.

Let's begin our exploration of grapes...

Vitamins and Minerals in Grapes

Grapes are probably best known for being loaded with potassium, a mineral that strengthens the alkaline reserves in the body while helping to stimulate kidney function and regulate the heartbeat. But grapes are also a great source of iron which builds hemoglobin in the blood. Grapes stimulate digestive juices, promote action in the bowels, cleanse the liver, and eliminate uric acid from the body. They also soothe the nervous system -- few other fruits can do this.

Vitamins in Grapes

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin B1
• Vitamin B6
• Folate (important during pregnancy)

Minerals in Grapes

• Potassium
• Calcium
• Phosphorus
• Magnesium
• Iron
• Selenium
• Trace amounts of zinc, manganese and copper.

In addition to the above vitamins and minerals, dark colored grapes also contain flavonoid compounds (like quercetin) and flavoid-like compounds (like resveratrol) which are said to be beneficial for blood health, cholesterol and heart health.

The next time you think about grapes... think about how they might add a powerful boost to your daily nutrition through juicing.

Tips for Juicing Grapes

Juicing grapes can add both flavor and valuable nutrients to most any home-juiced fruit-only cocktail... but they should not be added to vegetable juices unless you know what you are doing (you don't want to waste/ruin their benefits).

Here are a few tips for juicing grapes that may help turn your juicing experience into something you look forward to and thoroughly enjoy.

Great when juiced alone and when mixed with other fruits in juicing, grapes add plenty of sweetness to your home-made cocktails!

If the grape juice you make is too sweet (highly likely) you can "smooth it out" by adding just a touch of lemon while juicing them.

In a good juicer, grapes can be juiced stem and all. (Be sure to wash your grapes thoroughly before juicing.)

Other than in fruit juice mixtures, grapes and grape juice should be consumed by themselves and not when other food is eaten to enjoy their full benefits.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are diabetic, hyperglycemic, hypoglycemic, or have another blood sugar problem/disorder, you should avoid grapes and grape juice, as their high sugar content is not good for anyone with abnormal blood sugar levels. Consult with your doctor/dietician before eating/drinking grapes/grape juice and/or juicing your own grape juices.

Purchasing Tips for Buying Grapes

If you are unable to grow your own grapes (highly likely if you are not in warmer climates), then here are a few tips for buying grapes that may help you get the freshest ingredients. We'll also include a few storing tips for grapes that you might find helpful.

Grapes are quite possibly the most oversprayed of all fruits, sometimes being host to as many as forty-three different pesticides and chemicals. That being said, try to buy organic grapes when possible. If not possible, you definitely want to have a good biodegradable fruit wash for thoroughly cleaning your grapes before storing them and/or juicing them.

Most American varieties of grapes are available fresh during September and October while most European varieties are available year round.

Grapes should be firm to the touch, fresh, plump and well colored. Green grapes should have a slightly yellow cast. Red/purple grapes ought to be deeply colored throughout. The grapes should clearly "bloom" (a faint powdery appearance).

When you pick up the bunch, few grapes should fall off or be leaking, shiny or mushy. The stems should be green and alive-looking. Dried-up, brown stems indicate old grapes.

Wash grapes well and when they are dry, store them in the refrigerator where they will keep for a week or more.

General Information About Grapes

This article wouldn't be complete if we didn't include a little general information about Grapes, as well as a few helpful links if you want to explore Grapes further. (See links to sources below.)

The history of wild grapes stretches all the way back to prehistoric times, while cultivated forms of this awesome fruit appears as early as 5000 B.C. and the history of wine making shows up approximately 3200 B.C. Archaeologists tell us that grapes were, in fact, one of the earliest cultivated fruits on Earth.

The tradition of viticulture began in 1769 when Spanish friars - mostly Franciscans - established missions throughout the region. The padres planted a European grape variety, known as the Mission, in order to make sacramental wine.

Grapes grow in clusters of 6 to 300, and can be crimson, black, dark blue, yellow, green and pink. "White" grapes are actually green in color, and are evolutionarily derived from the red grape.

Winemaking was a primary use for grapes from the beginning, but the ancient Greeks were the first civilization to make a serious practice of grape growing and winemaking. The Greeks even had a god of the vine – Dionysus (later Bacchus).

One of the most successful boycotts in American history was held against table grapes (the boycott was initiated by United Farm Workers).

Sources/Further Resources for Grapes

• Tuscany & Wine - grape varieties
• Grapesfromcalifornia.com - History of Grapes
• National Grape Cooperative
• Exploring the United Farm Workers' History

Be sure to check out both our "Juicing" and our "Smoothies" sections for delicious recipes and more using Grapes!