Muscadine is a grape of the Southern U.S, famous for making dry wine. These grapes are dark purple in color and have a bronze tone. Muscadine grapes are low in calories and high in fiber. Let’s explore Muscadine Grapes’ Benefits and their antioxidant and cardioprotective properties!

These properties of muscadine grapes make them the best option for improving heart function, reducing cholesterol, and preventing the risk of various heart diseases. Muscadine grapes are the richest source of antioxidants present naturally.

These grapes are also considered to be very beneficial for people suffering from hypertension. Because this can helps in regulating blood pressure. Moreover, muscadine grapes are also linked with reducing the risk of various cancers. This is because of the presence of resveratrol in these grapes.

Another best thing about muscadine grapes is that they are fat-free and low in calories, making them a good option for those trying to lose weight. The high amount of fiber in these grapes can also be helpful for this purpose.

See, 10 Health Benefits Of Grapes, and How Long Do Grapes Last In The Fridge.

Nutritional Value of Muscadine Grapes

Muscadine grapes are highly nutritious, but their nutrients depend on the size of this fruit and where it is grown. According to USDA, a serving of 20 medium-sized muscadines contains:

Calories: 68
Fats: 6 grams
Carbs: 7 grams
Protein: 1 gram
Fiber: 7 grams
Vitamin C:8 mg

Muscadine contains a higher amount of other vitamins and minerals as well. For example, a high amount of calcium, phosphorus, and potassium is present in this fruit. Moreover, this fruit’s amount of fiber and vitamin C can be very beneficial.

Health Benefits of Muscadine Grapes

Due to their high nutritious profile, muscadine grapes are also known as “Mighty Muscadine.” These all high nutrients can provide numerous health benefits.

1. High Fiber Content:

The thick skin of muscadine grapes contains a high fiber content. A serving of 20 grapes contains 5 grams of fiber, four times more than the same amount of green grapes. So, the recommended amount of dietary fibers can be fulfilled through these grapes.

This recommended amount of fiber is crucial to maintaining a healthy weight and reducing the risk of diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Fiber also supports the gut and digestive health as it adds bulk to the stool and helps the food move through the stomach and intestines.

Diet high in fiber can be very helpful in reducing high cholesterol levels and the risk of diabetes. Fibers can make you feel full for a longer time, which also reduces the risk of obesity.

2. Packed With Powerful Antioxidants:

The skin of muscadine grapes contains almost six to eight times more antioxidants than whole blueberries. Almost all grapes are famous for their high antioxidant properties, but muscadine is the richest, with a high amount of phenols.

According to a study (Qi You, 2012) in a food science journal, muscadine grapes’ skin is rich in polyphenolic compounds, which can provide numerous benefits to the human body. Moreover, the antioxidants present within muscadine grapes can reduce oxidative stress by preventing cell damage caused by free radicals in the body.

Muscadine grapes also contain flavonoids, a group of polyphenols with high anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. And according to a study (A. N. Panche, 2016), These flavonoids may play a major role when comes to the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases.

3. Prevent Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes:

Metabolic syndrome is a condition in which a person faces a combination of interacting metabolic disorders like decreased insulin sensitivity, hyperglycemia, lower good cholesterol levels, and impaired glucose tolerance. A person suffering from metabolic syndrome has a high risk of developing diseases like stroke, heart disease, atherosclerosis, and diabetes.

Metabolic syndrome is more common in the population with a high-calorie diet, so food low in calories like muscadine grapes can reduce the risk of getting metabolic syndrome.

Moreover, muscadine grapes can also be very helpful in reducing the risk of diabetes. Research has also shown the positive effect of muscadine juice or muscadine wine on type 2 diabetes by decreasing blood glucose and improving cholesterol levels.

The amount of resveratrol in muscadine is higher than in the other varieties of grapes. This resveratrol helps in lowering triglycerides and prevents blood clotting.

4. Prevent Risk of Various Cancer:

The resveratrol in muscadine can also help prevent cancer cells from attacking the other organs. Thus, it prevents the disease from spreading. Andrew Dannenberg, Director of Clinical Programs in New York City, showed that resveratrol is very effective as an inhibitor of the growth of COX, a compound in breast cancer and other types of cancers.

Compounds that inhibit COX are considered very effective in preventing cancer by making the cancer cells more vulnerable. Resveratrol can inhibit the growth of tumors at three different stages: initiation, promotion, and progression. According to a report in cancer research in 2007, the muscadine grape skin extract can reduce the growth of cancer cells in all prostate cancer cell lines.

This research shows that the resveratrol present within the skin of the muscadine grape targets prostate cancer cells. And due to this unique property of muscadine grapes, these are considered an important source of therapeutic prostate cancer.

5. Increase Mental Function and Lifespan:

As we age, maintaining a healthy mental function is very important. Oxidative stress caused by free radicals is one of the reasons which makes the brain age and also causes various medical conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

According to New studies at Harvard school and institutes of Genetics and Molecular and cellular biology, resveratrol, a natural antioxidant present in grapes, including muscadine grapes, reduces the risk of heart diseases and age-related illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease.

Another study of 1,640 older adults tested over ten years found that the subjects with a higher intake of antioxidants and flavonoids had better cognitive evolution than other subjects. This research also found that intake of antioxidant flavonoids can reduce the risk of dementia.

The antioxidants in muscadine grapes and seeds can slow aging, resulting in longevity. It is suggested that a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle with eating muscadine grapes can add ten years to your life. In an animal study, mice fed with resveratrol, a component in muscadine grapes, were healthier and lived up to 30% longer.

6. Improves skin:

Truly beautiful and healthy skin comes with care from both on the surface inside and proper care of the whole body. For this purpose, the human body uses antioxidants to kill free radicals. But with age, the body produces fewer antioxidants, damaging the skin. Moreover, the skin collagen and micro-capillaries also start damaging with time, decreasing the number of nutrients that get to the skin and resulting in wrinkles and un-youthful skin.

Micro-capillaries are the small blood vessels that interchange the nutrients between blood and tissues. Antioxidants can strengthen these capillaries by keeping them flexible. As muscadine grapes are a rich source of antioxidants, these can be very beneficial in maintaining healthy and youthful-looking skin.

How to Eat Muscadine Grapes

Muscadine grapes are mostly used to make wine, but this fruit has a lot of health benefits if eaten in raw form. The skin of muscadine is edible and contains a high amount of vitamin C and antioxidants.

The flavors of these fruits vary depending on the different varieties; the thinner muscadine is considered more favorable. This fruit also has seeds with pulp, which are not present in most other types of grapes. Some seedless varieties of muscadine grapes are also present. Muscadine grapes can be consumed in many different ways:

The best way of consuming muscadine grapes is by eating the whole fruit. The skin and seeds of these fruits are also edible.
Muscadine grape juice is famous and delicious and can provide many health benefits.
These grapes can also be added to salads or desserts to enhance the look and taste of the recipe.
These grapes are also used to make jams and jellies.

Bottom line

Muscadine is a type of grape native to Southeast U.S. muscadine grapes, and muscadine wine has gained popularity recently because of its high amount of antioxidants. Muscadine contains the highest amount of antioxidants among all the other grapes, which makes them beneficial for health.

Moreover, muscadine is the only grape that contains resveratrol in its seeds. Other grapes also have this antioxidant but only in their skin. This antioxidant can provide numerous health benefits like reducing the risk of chronic diseases, increasing mental function, improving skin and digestive health, and preventing some cancers.

Grape-seed supplements are also available in the market these days. But while buying these supplements, look out for those made from muscadine so that you can get maximum benefits of antioxidants.

Other Fruits

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