Concord Grapes Can Improve Your Memory and Fight Cancer

The purple power of the grape - especially the Concord grape - is becoming increasingly well known for the positive effects it can have on our health. The dark purple grape juice purchased in grocery stores comes from Concord grapes, and this robust, aromatic grape can help increase the daily consumption of fruits and vegetables that many of us lack. Concord grape juice is available all year round, but this is the perfect time of year to look for Concord grapes in your grocery store or at the farmers' market, as they are in season from late summer to autumn.

Although commercial grape production dates back to 1000 BC, the Concord grape made its debut in 1849 when Boston-born Ephraim Wales Bull developed the Concord grape, named after the village of Concord in Massachusetts. Since then, the variety has been an eternal favorite, from drinking the juice to enjoying the jams and jellies made from it, to eating the whole grape.

Health benefits of concord grapes

Concord grapes actually have the power to keep us youthful because they contain high concentrations of antioxidants that protect our skin, brain and heart from inflammation and aging. The healthiest part of the grape is the skin, which is packed with not one but 19 different types of health-supporting nutrients.

Here are five huge reasons to enjoy Concord Grapes:

1. Decrease blood pressure with concord grapes

Concord grapes contain many flavonoids, including resveratrol, which can help decrease blood pressure by improving the fluidity of the blood. Resveratrol also relaxes the arterial walls to allow adequate circulation and decrease the pressure in the arteries.

Resveratrol - A Gift From Grapes

Let's face it; Resveratrol has quite literally taken the world by storm, particularly those who are health conscious. This is essentially because Resveratrol is known to help maintain a healthy heart, and to keep you alive with energy.

As you no doubt already know, people living in the Mediterranean tend to experience far less cardiovascular disorders than people living in other areas of the world, and this is largely due to the fact that they consume plenty of antioxidants, many of which come from the red wine they drink. However, in order to get a sufficient amount of Resveratrol, you would need to drink approximately eight bottles of red wine daily.

Great Ways to Enjoy Grapes

I adore this fruit. They are just simply a fruit you have to have more of, I mean whoever heard of eating 1 and being satisfied. With the credit crunch and costs going up, buying grapes can become very expensive. However they are a great versatile fruit to compliment your 5 a day recommended fruit portions.

When buying your grapes make sure that they are fresh and plump. They should be uniform in colour without brown spots and they should not drop-off the stem, but yield after pulling slightly.

Before eating them you should, wash them carefully in cool water or store them unwashed in a clear plastic bag or container, separate from other fruit and vegetables. A good place to put them is in your drawer in your refrigerator. When you are ready to eat them, wash with cool water and drain before serving. Preserving them this way will allow you to store them for longer. Which is ideal if like me, you purchase large amounts.

Grape Therapy

In addition to being a tasty and nutritious food, grapes can provide wonderful therapeutic benefits. Grapes are rich in phosphorous, potassium, and vitamin A. Grapes contain polyphenol, a heart-protective chemical.

Grape seed extract, a currently popular herbal treatment thought to improve vision by increasing blood flow in the eye's capillaries, is touted by alternative medicine practitioners as a treatment for macular degeneration and cataracts.