Eat grapes to replenish blood? Which color of grapes is anti-aging? Nutritionist Liu Chunjun: Select grapes with "3 heads and 4 degrees"

When it comes to the benefits of eating grapes, most people think that they can "replenish blood". In fact, dark purple or red grapes also have antioxidant and anti-aging effects. As for grapes of other colors, what are the health benefits? Let’s hear what nutritionist Liu Chunjun has to say.

Taiwan's grape growers have first-rate cultivation techniques. A grape that is larger than a 10-yuan coin exudes a light fruity aroma and has a chewy texture. The "Kyoho grapes" produced in Nantou are especially famous. However, many people may not know that Kyoho grapes are actually native to Japan.

According to legend, Kyoho grapes were introduced during the Japanese occupation decades ago. Since Japanese people like to drink wine but do not like the sour taste, sugar was added to Japanese wine during the early years for fermentation. During the Japanese occupation, Taiwan's sugar industry was well developed, so grapes were introduced to Taiwan for wine making. It is said that Japan's famous "Akadama Wine" was made with Taiwanese grapes at the time. Although Taiwan's wine did not become internationally famous later, we can still enjoy delicious grapes today.

Grapes can replenish blood sugar, but the effect is limited

Parents like to feed their children raisins mainly because raisins are "very good for blood". Nutritionist Liu Chunjun said that the blood-replenishing effect of eating grapes is actually not as good as imagined. According to nutritional information released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, grapes contain only 0.1 mg of iron per 100 grams, and the absorption rate of plant iron is only 1/10 of that of animal iron. Therefore, it is not a good source of blood tonic.

Parents like to feed their children raisins mainly because raisins are "very good for blood". Nutritionist Liu Chunjun said that the blood-replenishing effect of eating grapes is actually not as good as imagined.

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Rather than saying that grapes replenish blood, it is better to say that they replenish blood sugar. This is because the sugar contained in grapes is "glucose", which can be directly absorbed by the human body. It is very suitable for people who are weak after illness. Moreover, the fiber of grapes is soft and easy to digest, which can improve the patient's mental state. In addition, grapes are high-potassium fruits, which can help lower blood pressure for people with high blood pressure. People who are afraid of edema can reduce the occurrence of edema by eating them in moderation.

Grapes have different colors and different nutrients

In addition to domestic grapes, imported grapes come in many colors, including black, purple, red, etc. The nutrients contained in grapes of different colors are greatly different. For example, green grapes contain a very high level of beta-carotene, reaching 294 micrograms, and a vitamin A content of up to 500 IU, making them very suitable for people who use their eyes too much and are prone to upper respiratory tract infections. Although the beta-carotene and vitamin A content of dark purple or red grapes is very low, these two colors of grapes are rich in anthocyanins and polyphenols that help with antioxidant and anti-aging effects.

The health-promoting ingredients of grapes are mainly concentrated in the grape skin and grape seeds, mainly polyphenols and anthocyanins. These two nutrients can resist diseases caused by free radicals, delay aging, enhance immunity and fight cancer; especially the "proanthocyanidins (OPC)" contained in grape seeds can lower blood pressure and prevent arteriosclerosis; in addition, grape skin is also rich in vitamin C, B complex, and carotenoids, so it is better not to spit out the grape skin after eating grapes.

The health-promoting ingredients in grapes are mainly concentrated in the grape skin and grape seeds, mainly polyphenols and anthocyanins. These two nutrients can resist diseases caused by free radicals, delay aging, enhance immunity and fight cancer.

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Grapes taste sour or sweet, each has its benefits

Chinese medicine practitioner Wu Mingzhu said that grapes are mild in nature, sweet and sour in taste, and non-toxic. The black grape skin enters the kidneys and has the effects of nourishing the liver and kidneys, strengthening the spleen and stomach, replenishing qi and blood, stimulating appetite, producing body fluids and promoting urination. Therefore, it is an excellent fruit that "replenishes blood, strengthens the spine, tendons and bones, strengthens the stomach, produces body fluids, eliminates thirst, replenishes qi, expels water and promotes urination, nourishes the kidneys and liver, and improves complexion."

Some grapes are very sweet, while others are sour. Sour and sweet grapes each have their own benefits. Sour grapes can help produce body fluids and aid digestion, while sweet grapes can replenish Qi and blood. Therefore, when you have poor digestion, you can eat some grapes with a sour taste, which can help produce body fluids and quench thirst, strengthen the stomach and aid digestion, and relieve dry mouth and loss of appetite. For people who are prone to weakness, coughing, palpitations and night sweats, you can choose grapes with a sweet taste. Sweet grapes can replenish Qi and blood, and their effect of nourishing the liver and kidneys is relatively significant. However, Wu Mingzhu also reminded that diabetic patients should eat less to avoid high blood sugar levels, and pregnant women should not eat too much to avoid increasing the risk of gestational diabetes.

Selecting grapes: "3 heads and 4 degrees"

How to choose delicious and nutritious grapes? Nutritionist Liu Chunjun said that there is a popular method among the people to judge the quality of grapes, which is "3 heads and 4 degrees (Taiwanese)". Here’s how:

3 heads →

◆1 Head: The "head" refers to the fruit cluster, which should be neatly shaped like an inverted cone, with no discontinuity in the middle of the cluster or too dense to flatten the fruit. The main axis is soft, yellow-green and fresh. If the fruit axis turns black, it is mostly overripe, or has been treated with auxin during growth. The fruit clusters are also prone to browning after being harvested for a long time or refrigerated.

◆2 Head: "Grain head" refers to the fruit grain, which should have a dense texture, thin and elastic skin, uniform and full fruit size, even coloring, and should not fall off the stem easily when shaken. The best quality ones should not be detached, softened, or cracked.

◆3 heads: "Powder head" refers to fruit powder. The fruit powder on the grape skin is an organic substance that has the function of protecting the fruit. Good bagged grapes will be covered with thick and uniform fruit powder, and there should be no drug spots attached.

4 degrees →

◆1 degree: "Chroma". The berries of some grapes (such as Kyoho grapes) are purple-black, but in the summer, due to the high temperature, the coloring is slightly worse and can appear purple-red.

◆2 degrees: "Seed hardness". The more seeds there are in the fruit, the larger the fruit will be. The normal number of seeds in each fruit is 2 to 4. If there is only one seed, the quality is relatively poor.

◆3 degrees: The "sweetness" of the sugar-acid ratio. Grapes should not only be sweet, but also have a moderate sugar-acid ratio to taste the true flavor of grapes. The tartaric acid content is between 0.4% and 0.7% to be palatable.

◆4 degrees: It is the "fragrance degree", and it should have a fresh flavor. Although grapes produced in Taiwan are covered with protective covers to isolate them from pesticide spraying during the fruiting period, they may be contaminated during transportation, refrigeration and sales. It is recommended to rinse the fruit with water first, then cut off the fruit with the stems, and soak them in running water for 10 minutes before eating.

However, Liu Chunjun reminded that "grapes should be washed before eating" because washed grapes can only be kept for two days, but if well refrigerated, they can be kept for 2 to 8 weeks. The acidity of grapes will decrease after being frozen, so they will be sweeter. When you buy them, you should first cut off the bruised grapes, wrap them with white newspaper, and then put plastic wrap on the outside. The grapes will soften when they are taken out of the refrigerator and warmed up, so they should be eaten as soon as possible. Generally, European grapes are more durable, while hybrid varieties such as Kyoho grapes and Honey Red grapes are less durable.