Grapes are yummy fruits that you can eat as a snack or put in salads, drinks, or sweets. But can they help you lose weight? The answer is yes, but with some warnings. Here are some things you need to know about grapes and weight loss:
- Grapes have few calories and no fat. If you eat 100 grams of grapes, you get about 70 calories and no fat¹. This means that you can eat a lot of grapes without adding too many calories to your diet. But this does not mean that you can eat grapes all the time. Grapes also have natural sugars called fructose, which can make your blood sugar go up and make you hungry and want more food. So you should eat grapes only once or twice a day, and not eat them at night or when you are hungry.
- Grapes have a lot of water and fiber. Water and fiber are good for weight loss, because they make you feel full and happy, and stop you from eating too much or having snacks. Grapes have a lot of water (about 81%) and some fiber (about 1.4 grams per 100 grams)¹. Eating grapes can keep you hydrated and make you feel full. But you should also drink a lot of water during the day, and eat other foods that have fiber, such as whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables, to get enough fiber and help your digestion.
- Grapes have antioxidants and phytonutrients. Antioxidants and phytonutrients are good for your cells, because they protect them from harm and swelling, and they may also help you lose weight. Grapes have a lot of a kind of antioxidant called resveratrol, which is in the skin of red and black grapes. Resveratrol may help your metabolism, energy, and fat burning, and also lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels²³. Grapes also have other antioxidants and phytonutrients, such as anthocyanins, ellagic acid, quercetin, and catechins, which may help with swelling, cancer, and diabetes⁴⁵ . But you should not eat only grapes to get these things. You should also eat different fruits and vegetables with different colors, and other foods that have these things, such as green tea, dark chocolate, berries, and spices.
- Grapes are not a magic food for weight loss. While grapes are good for your health and weight, they are not enough to make you lose weight by themselves. You still need to eat a balanced, low-calorie diet that you like and that has different healthy foods from all food groups. You also need to exercise often, sleep well, deal with your stress, and do other things that help your weight loss goals. Grapes can be part of your weight loss diet, but they are not a replacement for a healthy lifestyle.
To end, grapes are good for weight loss, but only if you eat them a little and as part of a good diet. Grapes can help you eat fewer calories, drink more water and feel full, and give you antioxidants and phytonutrients. But they can also make your blood sugar go up, and they are not enough to make you lose weight by themselves. So you should eat grapes as a nice and healthy snack, but not as a wonder food.