New superfruit with startling health benefits launches in Welsh supermarkets

A brand new, world-first superfruit is hitting the shelves in Wales – and it’s been described as ‘unlike anything else in the fruit bowl’.

BOOMBITES Red Berry Grapes look like classic table grapes, but bite into them and you’ll discover a juicy, vibrant red pulp, similar to that of a berry or a cherry. Sweet and full of flavour, they’re a completely natural cross between some of the world’s best traditional table grapes and rare red-fleshed wine grapes – bringing together the best of both worlds: taste and health.

Launching exclusively at M&S and Ocado (for a limited time), offering comparable antioxidant levels to blueberries and triple the resveratrol content, they’re rich in anthocyanins – the same polyphenols behind the superfood status of berries like goji and cranberry – linked with potentially health-enhancing mechanisms including reduced inflammation, protecting against cell damage and good gut health. And emerging research shows the Red Berry Grapes slow glucose uptake despite their natural sweetness – a potential game-changer for fruit lovers looking to support their health without compromising on taste.

Experts including Dietitian Nichola Ludlam-Raine, GP Dr Nisa Aslam, and Public Health Nutritionist Dr Emma Derbyshire – part of the Red Berry Grape Advisory Board, have revealed more on the launch of the new superfruit:

There’s a new addition to the fruit bowl and it’s anything but ordinary. These one-of-a-kind Red Berry Grapes – known as BOOMBITES™ – are a new superfruit that taste like the very best table grapes but once you bite into them, you’ll discover a deep, juicy red pulp, similar to that of a berry or a cherry.

Red Berry Grapes — BOOMBITES™ — are a completely natural cross between some of the world’s best table grapes which traditionally all have white flesh on the inside with old grape varieties that have red flesh fruit and were traditionally only used for wine production. It took thousands of different combinations of small and soft, red-fleshed wine grapes with large, sweet, and crunchy seedless table grapes to come up with the new Red Berry Grapes. The end result? A new category that has the beautiful, sweet taste of grapes, the premium feel of a high-end food and beverage category, and the health credentials of a superfruit like blueberries.

Superfruit benefits

Anthocyanins are polyphenols, a naturally occurring plant compound. They are associated with health-enhancing mechanisms including improvements in cholesterol levels, vascular function[3] and the gut microbiome.[4] Public Health Nutritionist Dr Emma Derbyshire, a member of a new research and education information group called the Red Berry Grape Advisory Board, had this to say: “Dark fruits have soared in popularity over recent years as people become familiar with their high antioxidant content. The vibrant colour of the Red Berry Grapes is down to high concentrations of anthocyanins, a powerful antioxidant that’s been linked to a wide range of health and wellness benefits.”

BOOMBITES™ Red Berry Grapes also include resveratrol, another naturally occurring polyphenol, which is found in various plants, most notably in the skin of grapes, blueberries, raspberries, and peanuts. It’s a stilbenoid, a type of natural phenol, and is produced by plants as a defence mechanism against pathogens or injury. Resveratrol is known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and has been associated with the “French paradox”. This is the observation that despite a diet rich in saturated fats France has lower rates of heart disease than many comparable countries. And resveratrol is thought to account for various health and wellness benefits. Testing by researchers at the University of Murcia, found that BOOMBITES™ Red Berry Grapes had three times more resveratrol than blueberries when tested and comparable levels of antioxidants.

Sweet spot

Emerging new research confirms that the new Red Berry Grapes not only deliver much higher levels of antioxidant polyphenols than traditional grape varieties, but also their natural sugars are absorbed more slowly. And it’s the impact on blood sugar levels that has generated even more excitement around their superfruit credentials.

Research from the technology center AINIA in Valencia, Spain, suggests that despite having similar amounts of fructose, the new Red Berry Grape varieties showed significantly lower glucose uptakes than standard varieties. This is thanks to the Red Berry Grape being rich in polyphenols, as well as having fibre, and together this unique food matrix seem to have a role in slowing glucose absorption compared to other fruits.

Dietitian, Nichola Ludlam-Raine and member of the Red Berry Grape Advisory Board said: “In simple terms, this means that while new Red Berry Grapes are sweet to the taste, the combination of phenols they contain alters the way these sugars are transported and absorbed in the gut.

“This has major implications for weight control, insulin response and dietary advice around fruit consumption, because we know that many consumers restrict intakes of these fruits rich in antioxidants because of concerns about the amount of sugar in fruit.”

Research facts: Population studies show that a diet rich in polyphenols can potentially help to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by 46% and this is driven by multiple mechanisms including reduced oxidative stress and inflammation and improvements in blood cholesterol, clotting and endothelial function, the term used to describe the integrity and elasticity of blood vessels.

An observational study in 3,420 older adults at high risk of cardiovascular disease — which also put them in the danger zone for diabetes — showed a 28% reduction in new-onset diabetes among those with the highest intakes of polyphenols. Other research studies have shown that polyphenols moderate insulin resistance via several mechanisms and also work synergistically with diabetes medicines to increase their efficacy.

The new BOOMBITES™ Red Berry Grapes – are on sale in Marks and Spencer and Ocado for a limited period time.

Find out more at www.boombites.com