One little grape, so much power!

So why is the Concord grape so special?  Isn't it just like any other fruit?

Actually, the Concord grape is far from ordinary. This little purple fruit (and its cousin the white Niagara grape) packs quite a nutrition punch to help fuel healthy, vibrant lifestyles.

What’s behind the nutrition power of Concord grapes? Here’s where it gets a little technical. Concord grapes have natural plant nutrients called polyphenols – including many of the same ones found in red wine. Not only do polyphenols give Concord grapes their vibrant color, these plant nutrients also act as antioxidants and deliver benefits to help promote overall health.

What’s more, research suggests that Concord grapes make one heart-healthy juice. Welch’s 100% Grape Juice is made with whole Concord grapes – skin, seeds and all – and contains no added sugar, color, or flavor. And, Welch’s 100% Grape Juice is also certified by the American Heart Association (AHA) to carry the AHA’s heart-check mark, indicating that it meets AHA standards for a heart-healthy beverage. Available in stores across the country and in single-serve and family-sized containers, Welch’s 100% Grape Juice makes it easy to squeeze in more purple fruit each day as part of a healthy diet for the whole family.

Getting enough fruits and vegetables each day is important for overall health1, 2—but everyday life often gets in the way. In particular, most people fall short on getting enough vibrantly colored, blue and purple fruits and vegetables, which only account for about 3% of total fruit and vegetable intake.3 That’s not great news because a diet rich in a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables ensures the broadest range of vitamins, minerals and beneficial plant nutrients.

Dark-skinned blue and purple fruits, like the Concord grape, provide plant nutrients not found in many other colors of fruits and vegetables.4 In fact, according to a national survey, consuming blue and purple fruits and vegetables is associated with healthier eating patterns in children and adults, and overall better health in adults.5

Drinking the right amount of 100% juice made with Concord grapes can be a smart way to add purple fruit to the diet and to liven up your day. And it’s never too soon to focus on fueling your body to feel great and live well … a heart-healthy lifestyle (including a diet rich in a rainbow of colorful produce) at a young age can go a long way to keeping your heart healthy well into the future.6

But it’s important to remember that many purple grape juices aren’t made with Concord grapes, which means they may not have the same amount of plant nutrients and therefore have less natural polyphenol power. Welch’s 100% Grape Juice is always made with our family-farmers’ Concord grapes—making it one special juice!

Live healthy, be vibrant … enjoy Concord grapes! For more information on the vibrantly-colored Concord grape and the science behind the grape’s health benefits, visit the Grape Science Center at grapescience.com.

 

  1. U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. 7th Edition, Washington, DC. US Government Printing Office, December 2010. http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/DGAs2010-PolicyDocument.htm. (Accessed April 8, 2011).
  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Among Adults - United States, 2005. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2007. 56(10):213-217. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5610a2.htm. Last Updated: March 15, 2007. (Accessed May 21, 2010).
  3. Produce For Better Health Foundation. State of the Plate Study on America's Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables. Wilmington, Delaware. 2003.
  4. U.S. Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service. USDA Database for the Flavonoid Content of Selected Foods Release 2.1. 2007. http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=6231. Last Updated: Aug. 14, 2009. (Accessed: Sept. 9, 2010).
  5. McGill CR, Wightman JD, Fulgoni S and Fulgoni III VL. Consumption of Purple/Blue Produce is Associated with Increased Nutrient Intake and Reduced Risk for Metabolic Syndrome: Results From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2011. 5(3):279-290.
  6. Williams CL, Hayman LL, Daniels SR, Robinson TN, Steinberger J, Paridon S and Bazzarre T. Cardiovascular health in childhood: a statement for health professionals from the Committee on Atherosclerosis, Hypertension, and Obesity in the Young (AHOY) of the Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young, American Heart Association. Circulation. 2002. 106(1):143-160.

 

nutrition glossary

  • Plant Nutrients

    • Plant nutrients are compounds found within fruits (e.g. Concord and Niagara grapes), vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and teas that are being actively investigated by the scientific community for their potential health-supporting effects.

  • Polyphenols

    • Polyphenols are a sub-group of plant nutrients. They are found in foods like onions, tea, red wine, grapes, and certain nuts. Polyphenols naturally protect plants against pathogens, parasites and predators, and often contribute to the flavor and color of fruits, vegetables, and their juices. More research needs to be done to understand polyphenols’ impact on our health.

Grape Science: our commitment to grape research

 

Discover what makes Welch's Concord Grapes so Extraordinary