Health and Nutrition Information

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First grown in Massachusetts nearly 170 years ago, the Concord grape is an original American superfruit!

Concord grapes are distinct from the everyday grapes you’ll typically get in the grocery store. They have thick, dark purple skins and crunchy seeds, which is where you’ll find the health-promoting plant nutrients – or polyphenols – behind the grape’s superfruit status.

The Concord grape isn’t only super delicious and nutritious – it’s also super hard to find fresh. That’s because it grows only in specific regions and its harvest season is short — just a few weeks each fall.

But, don’t despair! Each glass of 100% grape juice is made with whole Concord grapes – skins, seeds and all – and absolutely no added sugar. So, you can enjoy the naturally big taste and polyphenol power of the Mighty Concord all year, wherever you live.

Benefits

1. Heart Health

Decades worth of research says that thanks to the dark purple Concord grape and its polyphenol power, 100% grape juice can help support a healthy heart. In fact, Concord grapes and their juice deliver many of the same polyphenols and heart health benefits as red wine.

One of the key ways that 100% grape juice supports heart health is by promoting healthy circulation, keeping your blood pumping and energy flowing.

Benefits

3. Memory

Two small studies have shown that drinking Concord grape juice vs. an added sugar, low-polyphenol drink (placebo) improves memory function in older adults with age-related memory decline.[1][2] In one of those studies, the researchers used a technique called functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to look at specific areas of the brain.[2] What they found was that the grape juice drinkers had increased blood flow in two regions of the brain linked to memory when compared to the placebo drinkers. Although more science is needed, this suggests that 100% grape juice’s circulation benefit may help keep your heart and your mind healthy.

1. Krikorian R, Nash TA, Shidler MD, Shukitt-Hale B, and Joseph JA. Concord grape juice supplementation improves memory function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. Br J Nutr. 2010. 103(5):730-734.

2. Krikorian R, Boespflug EL, Fleck DE, Stein AL, Wightman JD, Shidler MD, and Sadat-Hossieny S. Concord grape juice supplementation and neurocognitive function in human aging. J Agric Food Chem. 2012. 60(23):5736-5742.

Benefits

4. Attention, Reaction Time, & Mood

Researchers from the UK discovered that Concord grape juice enhanced cognitive function in people with busy, stressful lifestyles – specifically working moms of pre-teens.[3] During this study, 40-50-year-old women participated in a series of brain-bending tasks, including a driving simulator challenge. Mom drivers that drank the grape juice for several weeks (vs. a low-polyphenol drink), were more attentive and quicker to react behind the wheel. These learnings were reinforced with a second small study, which found that drinking a daily serving of 100% grape juice made with Concord grapes (vs. a low-polyphenol drink) had an immediate, positive impact on both mood and attention in young adults (mean age of 21 years).[4]

3. Lamport DJ, Lawton CL, Merat N, Jamson H, Myrissa K, Hofman D, Chadwick HK, Quadt F, Wightman JD, Dye L. Concord grape juice, cognitive function, and driving performance: a 12-wk, placebo-controlled, randomized crossover trial in mothers of preteen children. Am J Clin Nutr. 2016. 103:775-83. Download the study here.

4. Haskell-Ramsay CF, Stuart RC, Okello EJ, Watson AW. Cognitive and mood improvements following acute supplementation with purple grape juice in healthy young adults. Eur J Nutr. 2017. 56:2621-2631. Download the study here.

Benefits

5. Immune System Health

Eating a nutritious diet packed with colorful fruits and veggies helps ensure you’re getting an array of vitamins, minerals and beneficial plant nutrients (i.e. polyphenols) for health. Welch’s 100% Grape Juice delivers the power of purple fruit and antioxidants, like polyphenols and vitamin C.

What’s more, one study found that healthy adults who regularly drank Welch’s 100% Grape Juice (vs. a low-polyphenol drink) saw an increase in a specific type of immune cell called the gamma delta T-cell.[5] This “watchdog” immune cell plays an important role in the body - detecting potential invaders and alerting the immune system to respond. While this research is preliminary, it builds on earlier laboratory studies and suggests the antioxidants in 100% grape juice may help support a healthy immune system.

5. Rowe CA, Nantz MP, Nieves C, West RL and Percival SS. Regular Consumption of Concord Grape Juice Benefits Human Immunity. J Med Food. 2011. 14(1-2):69-78.