Health Benefits of Grapes
According to a research review published in 2024, dark-skinned grapes naturally contain anthocyanins, chemical compounds that have been connected to a variety of health benefits. They also give grapes pigment.
Anthocyanins can disrupt the signaling pathways that cancer cells use to grow, spread, and communicate. The review notes their potential cancer-fighting effects have been observed to work against several cancers, including lung and liver cancers, as well as leukemia.
Reservatrol, a compound found in grape skins, exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor effects. And proanthocyanidins, a class of chemical compounds found in grape seeds, have been shown to aid in cancer cell death, reduce the spread of cancer cells, and reduce inflammation.
A research review published in 2022 also suggests that both proanthocyanidins and anthocyanins have numerous other potential health benefits, including a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. What’s more, they’ve also been shown to improve skin radiance.
Research with humans is ongoing to determine at what dosages we might see health benefits from the compounds in grapes.
One large study with people over 50 years old found that those who ate a variety of red and purple fruits and vegetables had a lower risk of death from any cause and a lower risk of death from cancer.
For now, including grapes as part of a balanced diet full of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables is known to be a good idea.
