Benefits Of Grapes For Weight Loss

A background on grapes

Grapes are fruits derived from delicious woody vines and are considered one of the most important fruits in the world with their dietary, medical, historical, and industrial uses.^1,2 They come from a botanical family called Vitaceae which consists of nearly a thousand species.  

The historical roots of the grapevine begin 8,000 years ago in Western Asia, making its way to the Egyptians, and then to the Greeks and Romans who spread the culture of grapes and wine across Europe, Spain then introduced the crop in North America. Today, due to historical events that connected the population of the world, whether it be colonialism, the cultural significance of wine in certain religions, etc., we cultivate and farm the fruit worldwide with Europe producing at least half of all the grapes.^3,4  

There is a vast array of grape varieties worldwide, around 10,000 to be approximate! They are mainly categorised  into Red Grapes, White Grapes, and Green Grapes, with the main difference between them being the fact that red grapes contain higher levels of antioxidants than the latter two.

Take what you know about grapes and set them aside. In this article, we’re diving into the characteristics of all grapes as a collective, with a slight bias for red grapes that mutated from their green cousins. Red Grapes contain phytonutrients called anthocyanin that give them their red and purple colour and numerous health benefits, as well as a polyphenol called resveratrol which aids in menopausal symptoms.^{4, 5} 

Grapes for weight loss

Can eating grapes help lose weight? Yes, There are many positive ways eating grapes can help lose weight. The first has a lot to do with any type of food that contains fibers. Fibers play a role in maintaining satiety, and in the case of grapes, they  have  a lot of fibers. Your digestion is regulated so that you feel full for a very long time, and when you don’t feel like snacking, you eat fewer calories and ultimately lose weight.

Speaking of calories, grapes contain very few of them. Grapes do not contain sodium, cholesterol, or fat, which is why a number of people who are trying to lose weight include grapes in their diet. Reducing calories and exercising is the most efficient way to lose weight in health and fitness.^5,6  

Grapes also densely contain water, which has a lot of benefits on its own. Hydration makes you feel full and promotes the use of stored fat in the body as an energy source. Because of this, your appetite is suppressed, and snacking on these deliciously sweet grapes would have additionally satisfied your sweet tooth.

Resveratrol is a characteristic of grapes that massively benefits weight loss. A meta-analysis on resveratrol intake showed significantly decreased weight in obese individuals. Additional factors like BMI, waist circumference, and fat mass were reduced, while lean mass was significantly increased.^6,7 Resveratrol also alters your metabolism, and benefits outcomes like insulin resistance, body weight, adipose tissue weight, and size.^7,8 You can get no more than 13 mg of resveratrol from red wine, which is a fantastically dense source of resveratrol, apart from the usual supplements. A cup (160g) of red grapes contains around 0.24-1.25mg of resveratrol.^{8, 9}

Other health benefits of grapes

Grapes, like any other fruit, have always been known to have strong benefits. Apart from the ones that have already been mentioned, here are some extra  known benefits to the consumption of grapes.

Resveratrol against cancer

Research has shown that resveratrol found in the skin and liquid component of grapes is a natural stilbene and non-flavonoid polyphenol that contains antioxidant , anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, and cancer-fighting properties. Studies reveal that resveratrol reverses the multidrug resistance of cancer cells, making them vulnerable to standard chemotherapeutic approaches.^{10, 11} 

Many other studies have also shown the anti-effects of resveratrol against multiple types of cancer.^11,12 Grape extracts might also have the potential to inhibit human colon and breast cancer cells.^12,15 

Muscular health

On the topic of muscles, consuming grapes increases potassium levels in the body, which  relaxes muscles and contracts blood vessels. As a consequence, your blood pressure lowers naturally. In addition, compounds in grapes have been shown to lower lipid levels, which are insoluble elements flowing through your bloodstream. Lowering lipid levels thus reduces the rush of cardiovascular diseases.

Linkage studies also show that high levels of sodium elevate the risk of cardiovascular disease, whilst higher levels of potassium lower this risk.^15,16 Luckily for you, grapes contain very little sodium, and will always win out in the battle of ratios.

Metabolism

Consuming grapes helps the battle against metabolic syndrome or insulin resistance syndrome, which is a group of conditions that, in tandem, poses a risk for coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and other serious illnesses.

If this isn’t familiar to you, an individual with metabolic syndrome would show three or more of the following.^16,17

• Abdominal Obesity
• High blood pressure (130/80 mm Hg or higher)
• High blood sugar levels
• High blood triglyceride levels (more than 150 mg/dL)
• Low HDL cholesterol (below 40 and 50 mg/dL in men and women respectively)
• Acanthosis nigricans or the darkening of the skin on the back of the neck, armpits, and under the breasts.

Grape seed polyphenols help improve and alleviate a person’s cholesterol profile, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. Grapes are even noted to lower the risk of diabetes. In fact, the American Diabetes Association recommends that people eat fruits such as grapes even with the stigma that their relatively high sugar content is a risk factor.

Great for eyes

Lutein and zeaxanthin are both potent antioxidants in grapes that are best known for protecting your eyes. These antioxidants can quench free radicals, atoms that can cause damage and aging to your cells.¹¹ They are also known to help maintain eye health and performance and reduce the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts.^18,19 

Resveratrol can also help your eyes protect against ultraviolet A (UVA) light,²⁰  and studies on mice have additionally shown that it might safeguard against glaucoma, cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy.²¹ 

Cerebral health

Two studies on cognitive function in healthy young and older adults showed that consuming grape extract or supplements showed improved scores in attention, memory, speed of memory, mood, and language.²²

Resveratrol also shows potential in protecting against Alzheimer’s disease by reducing inflammation and a pathogenic agent implicated in the condition called amyloid beta-peptide.²³

Nutritional facts

The US Department of Agriculture reported  the following nutritional content for 1 cup (151 g) of red or green grapes:²⁴ 

• 122 g of water
• 104 kcal
• 1.09 g of protein
• 27.3 g of carbs, 23.4g of which are sugars
• 1.36 g of total dietary fibre
• 288 g of potassium
• 15.1 mg of calcium
• 0.54 mg of iron
• 11 mg of magnesium
• 30.2 mg of phosphorus
• 3.02 mg of sodium
• 0.106 mg of zinc
• 4.8 mg of vitamin C
• .000022 g of vitamin K
• .000003 g of folate

In addition, grapes contain vitamins B and A, and many other components that help  as antioxidants. free radicals.²⁵  

Side effects and other concerns

Grapes are sweet, even sweeter now that we’ve discussed all of the benefits you can reap from eating them. Things, however, are more than meets the eye. Eating one too many grapes without limit can possibly give you unavoidable side effects such as:²⁶   

• Diarrhoea or Constipation
• Abdominal Pain
• Allergies
• Gastric Acidity
• Sugar Spikes
• Weight Gain

Weight Gain might surprise you, but a great building block for fat is sugar, and grapes consumed in excess can give you a lot of sugar. Grapes must not be your sole diet but should be eaten together with other good  nutritional sources for weight loss, at a controlled amount.

Summary

Grapes have benefitted the human race for millennia, and it is great for those who are trying to lose weight. It is low in calories and high in fibre  which maintains satiety for a long period of time. It is  also a great source of water, and hydration plays a key role in weight loss.

Like many fruits, grapes have outstanding impacts on  health, but if  consumed in excess, they can lead to problems. The resveratrol, antioxidants, and other compounds found in the grapes have multiple unseen health benefits and protective abilities against diseases and cancers, and through future research, might reveal more.