Grapes

A wonderfully satisfying fruit that digests like a dream, grapes are a popular fruit for eating and the making of raisins, jams, jellies and wine. Esperanza Vite ate exclusively grapes for six months to regain her health. Grapes score a 97 out of 100 in Dr. T.C. Fry’s “A General Guide to Food Selection.”

Grapes, which grow in clusters of 15 to 300, are in season from July through September. They can be crimson, black, dark blue, yellow, green, orange and pink in color. A cup of grapes weighs 151 grams.

Most grapes come from cultivars of Vitis vinifera, a European grapevine native to the Mediterranean and Central Asia. A minute amount of grapes from from other species in North America and Asia. Only 27 percent of grape production is for fresh fruit, with 71 percent for wine and 2 percent as raisins. Thompson Seedless is believed to be the most planted kind of grapes.

Grapes are a rich source of Vitamin K and resveratrol, a potent anti-oxidant. They contain 81 percent water by weight.

China produces the most grapes, with 9.6 million metric tons in 2012. The United States produced 6.7 million metric tons and Italy, 5.8 million metric tons, in 2012. Rounding out the list of the leading five producers, France and Spain each produced more than 5 million metric tons in 2012.

Stats for 100 Grams of Grapes (Red or Green [European Type, Such as Thompson Seedless], Raw)

• 69 calories

Notable Nutrients

Percentages based on the Reference Daily Intake for a 2,000-calorie diet

• Vitamin C: 5.3%
• Vitamin K: 18.3%
• Copper: 6.4%
• Potassium: 5.5%

Carbs/Protein/Fat

• Carbohydrates: 94.6%
• Protein: 3.5%
• Fat: 1.9%

Food Type

• Subacid fruit

Sources

• Self Healing Colitis & Crohn’s by Dr. David Klein
• http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/2317
• http://www.cronometer.com
• http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/grapes.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grapes