Has anyone tried these in a smoothie? After rinsing, I added quite a bit of them to my green smoothie -delicious!

I am not sure about posting information from other sites – hope it’s acceptable here. The information below is rather interesting.

“The oldest cultivated grapevine in the world is the 400 year old scuppernong “Mother Vine” growing on Roanoke Island, North Carolina. The scuppernong is the state fruit of North Carolina.

Eating this whole grape also has health benefits. The hull adds a significant amount of fiber to the diet. When chewed, the seeds provide a grape-seed extract which, it is claimed, can aid in improving memory and other functions.

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Muscadine grapes contain some of the highest levels of antioxidants found in any tested fruit or vegetable. Unlike common vinifera wine grapes, which cannot survive the harsh climate of the southeastern US without the aid of chemical pesticide sprays, Muscadine grapes naturally grow and thrive in the hot, humid and disease-prone climate of the southeastern US.
Just like our immune system, which produces more antibodies when under attack, Muscadine grapes produce more disease fighting phenolic compounds (antioxidants) when under stress from disease. Muscadine grapes contain a powerful and unique combination of resveratrol, ellagic acid, gallic acid, opcs and Quercetin, which has been found to be a chemopreventative, very effective as a cholesterol reducer, along with being anti-osteoporotic, and anti-diabetic, and highly anti-inflammatory.

The muscadine grape has significantly more antioxidant power than other grapes. Research shows that muscadines have been measured as high as 6,800 per 100 grams, compared to 739 per 100 grams for any other grape. The grape skins alone have about 6-8 times as much antioxidant power as whole blueberries.

Antioxidants and Anti-inflammatory Agents
Many of the phytonutrients (health-giving properties in plants) present in the muscadine grape are powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. Antioxidants can reverse the damage caused by free radicals. Anti-inflammatory agents ease the pain from arthritis and injuries.

Most well known, resveratrol, is only one phytonutrient contained in the muscadines. Here’s an extensive list of more.

Phytonutrient contained in muscadines

Ellagic Acid Resveratrol
Catechin Epicatechin
Kaempferol Vitamin C
Caffeic Acid Quercetin
Myricetin Piceattanol
Gallic Acid Pectin
Anthocyanidins

These phytonutrients are well-known in the scientific and health community for their beneficial effects. Quercetin benefits the heart and other organs. Ellagic Acid has been linked to anti-aging. Piceattanol (pie-see-at-a-nall) is a known anti-cancer agent. Resveratrol is the most well-known of the nutrients.

The power of antioxidants
“The finding that muscadine grapes are naturally high in healthful antioxidants has led to an expansion of the industry. Antioxidants help protect the body from the damaging effects of oxygen free radicals, which can contribute to degenerative diseases.” *

*Source: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC