If your goal is optimal nutrition, would you choose grapes or raisins? To most, the obvious answer would be grapes, because they’re less calorie dense than raisins. Grapes contain 20 calories per ounce, whereas raisins contain 85 calories/ounce. But, what if I asked the same question, and you had 100 calories to spend on either grapes or raisins? Although they’re the same fruit-raisins are dehydrated grapes-is there a difference in nutrition, when normalized to calories?
Before delving into the nutritional comparison it is important to briefly discuss what happens during the dehydration process. The grape obtains energy through photosynthesis occurring in the green stem. Once the grape is removed from its stem, it still has an energy requirement that needs to be met. Since the stem is no longer providing this energy, the grape begins to use its own chemical processes to maintain energy demand. At the core of the difference between the raisin and the grape is that once the grape leaves the stem, it starts to break down its own energy stores (ATP) to maintain the cellular energy demand, a process that consumes water.
Are there nutritional differences between the grapes and raisins?
In the table we see that when normalized to 100 calories, there isn’t a difference in protein, fat or carbohydrate, when comparing grapes and raisins.
Among the minerals, Copper content is reduced by more than 40% in raisins when compared with grapes. Copper is a cofactor for the antioxidant enzyme, Copper-Zinc Superoxide Dismutase. That its content reduced in raisins indicates a diminished antioxidant response.
Antioxidant depletion in raisins is also evident when looking at the vitamin list. Vitamin C (95% reduced), β-Carotene (100%), Vitamin A (100%), Leutein + Zeaxanthin (100%), Vitamin E: α-Tocopherol (86%), and Vitamin E: γ-Tocopherol (90%) are all dramatically reduced in raisins, when compared with grapes. That raisins are depleted in antioxidants, when compared with grapes is confirmed by looking at their respective ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) values: 261 for grapes vs. 113 for raisins.
The B-vitamins riboflavin (59%), pantothenate (56%), and Vitamin B6 (54%), each of which are required for efficient energy metabolism are reduced in raisins.
Finally, both Vitamin K (94%) and choline (neurotransmitter, 54%) are also reduced in raisins, when compared with grapes.
So, if your interest is optimal nutrition, eat grapes, not raisins!
If you’re interested, please have a look at my book!
References
Reference values for raisins and grapes obtained from http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/
ORAC values for raisins and grapes obtained from w ww.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/…/Data/ORAC/ORAC_R2.pdf
Michael Lustgarten 
Interesting but when assuming you consider getting just 100 calories from grapes out of the 2000 calories/day required by an adult which is just 5% of the total calories per day I think the impact of such a small quantity would not matter much.
Considering however that raisins are far easier to carry and “are the most economical dried fruit according to the United Stated Department of Agriculture, so they are cost effective and convenient for use during exercise” it sure is a difficult choice.
http://healthnewsreport.blogspot.in/2015/03/health-benefits-of-grapes-and-raisins.html
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I used 100 calories as a comparison tool. Sure if you eat 100 calories of raisins it probably won’t make a big dent on health. But, isn’t that a dangerous mindset in terms of optimal health? I want the most nutritional bang for the buck.
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Is it ok to eat 50 raisins a day?
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The point is not whether 50 raisins is ok or not, it’s to fill our diets with as much nutrient-dense food as possible.
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Wow grapes do have alot of VitaminC but if your goal is to make raisin wine or cakes without added sugar, raisins are sweeter than grapes 🍇 and stickier.
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