Grapes with the combination of sweet, tart flavor has made them very popular between meal snack as well as a refreshing addition to both fruit and vegetable salads. They are also very delicious when eating alone.
There are great varieties available in the months September and October while European varieties are available year around. You can eat seedless grapes or grapes with seeds.
Children favor more the seedless type of grapes.
History and Classification
According Wikipedia the first botanical names of the plant were assigned in 1696 by Hans Sloane, who called it Prunus maritima racemosa, "maritime grape-cluster Prunus", and Leonard Plukenet, who named it Uvifera Littorea, "grape-bearer of the shore", both names reflect the European concept of "sea-grape". The natives viewed it as a large mulberry.
The first edition of Linnaeus"s Species Plantarum (1753), based on Plukenet, assigned the plant to Ploygonum uvifera and noted flores non vidi< "I have not seen the flowers." In the Civil and Natural History of Jamaica (1756) devised Coccoloba, "red-leaf", for it.
Description
Grapes grow in clusters of 6 to 300. The grapes have different colors from black, dark blue, yellow, green and pink. Whereas, "white" grapes are actually green in color and derived from the red grape. With mutations in genes of white grapes turn off production of Anthocyanins which are responsible for the color of red grapes.(Anthocyanins comes from Greek and are pigments that appear red, purple or blue according to pH).
These pigments and other chemicals in red grapes are responsible for the varying shades of purple in red wines.
Grapes are fruits of the genus vitis. (Genus from Latin genus,generic, "birth, race, stock, kind", which is used in the classification of living and fossil organisms).
Distribution
Greatest percentage of top producers is in Europe whereas Spain, France, Portugal and Italy are the greatest followed by east cost of North America.
Approximately 71% of world grape production is used for wine, approximately 27% is used as fresh fruit, and about 2% as dried fruit. A certain portion of grape production goes to producing "100% natural" grape juice with no added sugar.
Health Benefits
Contrary to the improved eating quality of seedlessness is the loss of potential health benefits provided by the enriched Phytochemical content of grape seeds.
There is evidence from laboratory studies that the phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of cancer. That might be possible due to dietary fibers, polyphenol antioxidants and anti-inflammatory effects.
Researchers have discovered that although diets among western countries have higher levels of animal fat there is a surprisingly lower incidence of heart disease in France and the Mediterranean countries. It is believed that this may occur from protective benefits of regularly consuming red wine (resveratrol).
Even so adoption of wine consumption is not recommended by health authorities, but significant information of research indicates that a moderate consumption, such as a glass or two of red wine will contribute to health benefits.
Resveratrol an antioxidant has been positively linked to lower the risk of cancer and heart disease, degenerative nerve disease, viral infections and mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease.
Grapes are fruits with high nutritional value and a high concentration of vitamins as vitamin B6, C, B ,B2, and Potassium, Manganese, Iron and more. This is one of the reasons to include grapes in your daily diet. Instead of consuming drugs make the habit of consuming a glass of red wine on a daily basis.
But remember only one or two glasses of red wine not a bottle...Salud...to your health.
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Author's Name: Anton Winkler S.
Authors Resource Box
Anton Winkler is owner of healthcarethroughadventuretravel.com and writes on different subjects to help people to live and eat healthier. You can get more information on his
new affiliate site antonw.webbizoffers.com/weightloss or visit his blog at:
http://bodyandhealthcare.blogspot.com/
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