Monday, March 18, 2024
Muscadine Grapes - Nutritional Superstars

The health benefits of muscadine grapes offer priceless value to the body.  Rewards are derived from eating part of, or event better, the whole grape.  Why?

Resveratrol, a potent cancer-fighting substance, is found in the skin, pulp and only a muscadine grape has it within the seed.

Muscadines are among the richest sources of antioxidants found in nature.

Its believed that the assortment of antioxidants found in muscadine grapes and seeds slow the effects of aging and possibly extend life.

Free radicals, which start chain reactions that damage cells, are terminated by the antioxidants in muscadines.

Ellagic acid and resveratrol, the main antioxidants in muscadines, play a key role in preventing heart disease and high cholesterol and assist in treating ailments like arthritis, topical burns and the flu.

Look for North Carolina muscadines at your grocery and at local farms.

 

Muscadine Antioxidants

Muscadine grapes are naturally high in healthful antioxidants, which have led to an expansion of the industry here in North Carolina. Antioxidants help protect the body from the damaging effects of oxygen free radicals. Oxygen free radicals are a contributing factor in degenerative diseases. *

What are free radicals? The ever increasing pollutants, radiation, and the body's natural metabolism produce free radicals, which are unbalanced oxygen atoms due to a missing or unrepaired electron. These predators try to replace the lost electrons by raiding other molecules. This theft damages all DNA and tissue contacted until stopped by antioxidants or certain enzymes produced by the body. Antioxidants readily give up electrons without becoming harmful. 

The U.S. National Institute of Health has determined that one of the primary causes of deteriorating health as we age is relentless attack from free radicals. It has been estimated that each cell in our body is attacked by free radicals 10,000 times a day. Your body makes special enzymes to seek out and neutralize free radicals. Unfortunately, as you get older, your body produces fewer of these enzymes. 

Another way to battle free radicals is to eat fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants. Antioxidants are used by the body to neutralize free radicals, by doing this antioxidants reduce the amount of damage our body suffers as we age. 

Antioxidant Capacity Chart*
Grape Type ORAC Values 
C. Franc
2.61 mM/Te/g
Carlos
1.24 mM/Te/g
Noble
2.81 mM/Te/g
 
*Source: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
*Or. Leon Boyd, North Carolina State University

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