New Study Reveals This Popular Fruit Is Actually a “Superfood”
A new peer-reviewed article argues that grapes deserve a place among today’s top superfoods.
A recent article published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry takes a closer look at the term “superfoods” and presents a compelling argument that fresh grapes deserve a top spot among them. The author, Dr. John M. Pezzuto, a prominent expert in resveratrol and cancer research and Dean of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Western New England University, provides a detailed overview supported by a wide range of scientific evidence.
According to the article, the word “superfood” is widely used but lacks an official scientific definition or standardized criteria. Foods commonly referred to as superfoods are often part of the Mediterranean Diet and are typically packed with natural plant-based compounds that support overall health. Dr. Pezzuto first explores the broader landscape of what constitutes a superfood, then shifts focus to grapes, emphasizing that they are frequently overlooked compared to better-known options like berries, despite offering similar health benefits.
A Complex and Powerful Fruit
Grapes are a natural source of over 1,600 compounds, including antioxidants and other polyphenols such as flavonoids, anthocyanidins, catechins, phenolic acids, resveratrol, and more. Polyphenols are credited with the health benefits of grapes, via antioxidant activity and influencing cellular processes. It is the whole grape and the unique matrix of these compounds within it that creates the biological effects, not a single component.
Over sixty peer-reviewed studies have been published in the scientific literature on grapes and health. The role of grapes on cardiovascular health is well established, including promoting relaxation of blood vessels and healthy circulation, as well as modulating cholesterol levels.
Clinical trials also show that grapes support brain health (help maintain healthy brain metabolism and beneficial impacts on cognition), skin health (enhanced resistance to UV radiation and DNA damage in skin cells), gut health (modulating the gut microbiome and increasing diversity in the gut), and eye health (retinal impact via increase in macular pigment optical density).
Grapes and Nutrigenomics
Finally, in the realm of nutrigenomics – the study of foods on gene expression in the body – grape consumption has been shown to positively alter gene expression in relevant body systems. Pezzuto suggests that it is these activities at the genetic level that are likely the driving force behind the health benefits of grapes.
“Dr. Pezzuto shows that based on the science, grapes are indeed a superfood, and should be recognized as such,” said Ian LeMay, president of the California Table Grape Commission, “and we are hopeful that using this nomenclature in association with grapes becomes common practice. Luckily, whether consumed for health or sheer enjoyment as a healthy snack, eating California grapes is a win for consumers.”
