Grapes are a fruit that is known and easily found in almost all over the world. Many people will be fascinated by this sweet and delicious fruit and in fact, apart from having a delicious taste that captivates our tongue, grapes are also known to have tremendous benefits for the health of the human body, as mentioned in the benefits of grapefruit for blood pressure.
In Latin the grapes are known as Vitis vinifera or vitis labrusca. This fruit includes fruit plants in the form of creeping shrubs and is classified in the Vitaceae family. The grapes come from the southern region, between the Caspian and Black Seas in Asia Minor.
According to history, grapes have been found and cultivated in the Middle East sincer around 4000 BC. But then, around 2500 BC the first grape processing was done by the skillful Egyptians.
From Egypt, this wine processing and cultivation technology began to enter Greece and spread to Spain, France and Australia. In line with Columbus’ journey, wine began to spread to Mexico, the United States, South Africa, Asia including Indonesia and Australia.
You may find different colored grapes, ranging from black, green, or red like cherries. But aside from wonderful range of colors, grapes hold amazing benefits that can be obtained easily by consuming it directly, or raw, or consuming other products made of grapes such as jelly, jam, and others.
Grapes contain polyphenols, which are compounds that give fruit their bright colors. The polyphenol antioxidant content in the fruit, which has been planted 6,000-8,000 years ago, provides the body with protection from disease and damage due to environmental factors, and helps fight free radicals, as stated in the benefits of grapefruit.
Grapes have been known for a long time as a fruit that has a special taste and is expensive. The shape of the fruit is almost similar to the skin of the fruit, which is blackish red, green, golden yellow, or purple. The pulp has a sweet and sour taste, and has a lot of water content. The cause of the sweet taste of grapes is high levels of glucose and fructose.
There are quite a lot of types of grapes and each type has a unique use, therefore the wine farming also has different purposes, including table grapes, wine, raisins and grape juice. The grapes used for table fruit are fruits that have a large size, taste sweet and fresh, and do not easily come off the bunch.
There are two types of grapes that are commonly eaten, namely the Vitis vinifera and Vitis labrusca grapes. Meanwhile, the familiar vine in the community and widely cultivated is the type of Vitis vinifera. Each of these types of grapes has different characteristics.
The news that pregnant women are prohibited from consuming grapes is just a myth. In fact, there are various benefits of grapes for pregnant women which make it recommended for consumption during pregnancy.
The benefits of grapes for pregnant women exist because this fruit contains a variety of important nutrients. Without further ado, these are the benefits of grapefruit for pregnant woman.
1. Increases body immunity
Hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy can make the body’s immunity decreased, so that pregnant women are more susceptible to infection, so that’s why pregnant women need proper food intake, and grapes are one of them.
The content of vitamin C in grapes can help as one of the benefits of eating grapefruit, to increase body immunity. In addition, research shows that several active compounds in grapes are proven to protect the body from viral and bacterial infections.
2. Improves the mood
Hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy can affect the mood of pregnant women, oftenly they would feel sad or irritable for no apparent reason. To help relieve a bad mood, pregnant women need to consume some healthy foods, including grapefruit.
A study shows that consumption of natural grape extracts for 3 months can improve mood and thinking skills in adults due to the content of polyphenol compounds and the antioxidant activity present in grapes.
3. Prevents or treat constipation
Aside from the benefits of grapefruit for diet, the next grapefruit’s benefit for pregnant women is to help prevent or overcome constipation. This benefit can be obtained because the fiber in grapes can maintain digestive health and make feces softer.
But to maximize this benefit, you need to eat grapes with their skins on and don’t forget to enrich your diet with other sources of fiber.
4. Supports bone health
The content of calcium, vitamin K, magnesium, and phosphorus in grapes is good for bone health of pregnant women. Not only that, resveratrol, which is one of the antioxidants in grapes, is thought to increase calcium absorption and retain calcium in bones.
Pregnant women can also maximize this benefit by consuming the other calcium-rich products, including milk, cheese, or yogurt everyday.
5. Lower blood pressure
The benefits of wine for the next pregnant woman is to help lower blood pressure. Other than benefits of grapefruit for weight loss, this will be especially useful for pregnant women who are at higher risk for preeclampsia or high blood pressure during pregnancy.
This benefit is obtained because the potassium content in this fruit is able to reduce excess levels of salt within the body. In addition, the potassium content in grapes can also help relieve leg cramps and maintain electrolyte balance in the body.