Are grapes more than just a sweet snack? A new perspective article suggests they should be.
Writing in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, John M. Pezzuto, PhD, DSc, a leading resveratrol and cancer researcher and dean of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Western New England University, makes the case that fresh grapes deserve a place among the so‑called “superfoods.”
As Pezzuto points out, the term “superfood” doesn’t have an official scientific definition. It’s generally used for foods rich in plant compounds that support health and are often associated with dietary patterns like the Mediterranean diet. Grapes, he argues, meet these informal criteria but are frequently left out of lists that highlight berries, leafy greens, and other antioxidant‑rich foods.
Grapes naturally contain more than 1,600 compounds, including polyphenols like flavonoids, anthocyanidins, catechins, phenolic acids, and resveratrol. According to Pezzuto, it’s the combination of these compounds, not a single component, that drives their effects on health.
Over 60 peer‑reviewed studies have explored the health impacts of grape consumption. Findings include:
Cardiovascular health: supporting healthy blood vessel function and cholesterol levels.
Brain health: helping maintain healthy brain metabolism and cognition.
Skin health: improving resistance to UV‑related damage in skin cells.
Gut health: increasing microbiome diversity.
Eye health: increasing macular pigment optical density, a marker of retinal health. Pezzuto also highlights findings from nutrigenomics, showing that grape consumption can positively influence gene expression related to these systems.
The perspective article was published with support from the California Table Grape Commission, which has publicly endorsed labeling grapes as a superfood.
While the “superfood” label is more marketing term than scientific classification, the underlying evidence highlights grapes as a nutrient‑dense fruit with wide‑ranging potential benefits. For consumers, that may be reason enough to add a handful to the daily fruit bowl.