These days all sorts of ingredients are touted as the next superfood, sometimes meaning we overlook the most common but powerful foods right under our nose. The ubiquitous grape is that kind of food: humble, familiar, and oh-so-mighty.
Grapes are a gift of healing and vitality from the natural world. These round, delicious fruits are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties, making them a rich source of bioactive chemicals that will boost your overall health. From cancer prevention to brain health and beyond, grapes are an unexpectedly powerful health boosting fruit.
As Nikola Tesla said, “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration.” His words hint at something we know well here at Vitalize Juice Co: raising your vibration is the key to vibrant health and vitality. Frenchman Andre Simonton is widely considered one of the founders of the concept of frequency and vibrations as it relates to the food we eat. An electromagnetism expert, Simonton studied the electromagnetic waves of food, and made some astonishing discoveries, including the one that we rely on most for our approach to healthy food here at Vitalize Juice Co: the food with the highest vibrations include raw, ripe fruit and vegetables–as well as fresh-squeezed juice!
Read on to learn more about why grapes could be the missing key to your health.
Health Benefits of Grapes
The health benefits of grapes are numerous and exciting, from brain health to cancer prevention and immune support. Grapes boost your energy with vital carbs, and after consuming grapes you may find yourself feeling amazing quickly due to gut-healthy polyphenols and anthocyanin.
As Elizabeth Shaw, M.S., RDN, CPT, a registered dietitian, puts it, “Research is showing that grapes are a ‘functional food,’ meaning they could be considered as a form of medical nutrition therapy.” Modern research is showing what our ancestors have known for centuries: food from the earth is healing and powerful.
The health benefits of grapes also include:
- Antioxidants to fight off heart- and blood vessel-damaging free radicals
- Brain boost and Alzheimer’s prevention
- Heart health
- Boosting your vitamins and minerals intake
- Better sleep
- Cancer prevention
- Immune support
- Energy
- Joint support
- Anti-inflammatory properties
History of Grapes in Medicine
Grapes have been used medicinally for centuries, including by the Native Americans and the ancient Greeks. According to Cecile Badet, “The medicinal and nutritional value of grapes has been known for thousands of years.” Badet writes, “Egyptians consumed grapes at least 6000 years ago, and several ancient Greek philosophers praised their healing power. European folk used an ointment from the sap of grapevines to cure skin and eye diseases. Grape leaves were used to stop bleeding, inflammation and pain. Unripe grapes were used to treat sore throats and dried grapes were used to heal consumption, constipation, and thirst. The round, ripe, sweet grapes were used to treat a range of health problems including cancer, cholera, smallpox, nausea, eye infections, and skin, kidney and liver diseases.”
The Greek recognized early on the antibacterial properties of the polyphenols in grapes and used wine and other grape-derived products in topical applications. They also used grapes for fever treatments and other remedies. The ancients in particular considered wine as an essential part of good health and vitality.
Researchers have also found that Native American tribes like the Seminoles used grapes in healing remedies. Their applications for grapes included gastrointestinal relief, fever reduction, and healing chronically ill babies.
Often new research confirms what humans knew long before the advent of prescription medication and western medicine: nature is healing, and if we tap into the power inherent in nature’s gifts like grapes, we can give ourselves our health back.
Take Back Your Health by Embracing Your Body’s Natural Healing Abilities
Find ways to incorporate grapes–alongside other ripe, raw fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts–into your daily diet to take back your health. Embracing your body’s natural healing abilities and raising your vibration with fresh fruit and juices is just one of the ways you can take back your health.
In today’s world, we’re constantly exposed to toxins, chemicals, and foods that make us sick. We believe in finding small and achievable ways to make our lives healthier through the healing properties of the world around us.