How Does This Ayurvedic Food Improve Wellness?
CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW
Recipes with Grape: Grape Juice Chai with Cardamom, Ginger, Turmeric
Grapes quench thirst, moisten tissues and increase metabolism. They are unique because most foods that increase metabolism cause dryness. And, most foods that moisten tissues depress metabolism. Grapes are easy to digest, providing instant energy. They are helpful for patients recovering from illness or surgery and those who are overworking mentally or physically.
Grapes are sweet and slightly sour, making them useful as a liver tonic, and are a restorative for many hot Pitta and dry Vata conditions. They nourish the blood and calm inflammation. As a blood tonic, they are useful for women during menstruation, pregnancy, post-partum, or breast feeding. Grapes has been suggested as a remedy for low white blood cell count. They are a muscle tonic, a bone tonic, and increase fertility in both men and women.
Their sour taste and mild nervine quality calms an overworked, irritable, burnt out, or confused mind. Their ability to calm the mind and cool the liver makes grapes especially useful for heat in the eyes, eye strain or tension, and insomnia. Purple or red grapes contain more beta carotene and are especially useful for the eyes. Grapes help mitigate the effects of alcohol. Their moistening quality helps reduce dry rashes & prevent liver spots.
Grapes contain resveratrol, a chemical that has been shown to increased lifespan in mice, and reduce the risk of heart disease. Medical research on Concord grapes show potential benefits in cancer prevention, platelet aggregation, atherosclerosis, and hypertension. They help to prevent loss of physical performance or mental acuity due to aging.
Their high fiber content is useful for constipation. Grapes are high in sugar, iron, pectins, bioflavanoids and phenols. The high sugar content of grapes makes them unsuitable for diabetics. Although grapes quench thirst, they are also a diuretic.
About Grape
Grapes are considered a superior fruit to all others in Ayurvedic. They are an important tonic (rasayana) for late summer. Grapes have been a sign of abundance since Greek times. The Greek God or agriculture, Dionysus, is often portrayed with a crown of grape leaves and wine, "the fruit of the vine". Grapes play an important role in many religions as well, especially Christianity, where wine is used in the Last Supper and also symbolizes the blood of Christ. Cultivation of grapes began in the near east aroudn 6-8,000 B.C.
Buying & Preparation
Buy organic grapes only. Conventional grapes require heavy pesticide use, especially seedless grapes. Seedless grapes are promulgated by cuttings, resulting in a mono crop with less genetic diversity. The high sugar content of grapes, together with low genetic diversity makes grapes vulnerable to pests.