Purple Grape Juice Combats Cardiovascular Disease

And It's Cheaper than Red Wine

Moderate red wine consumption reduces the risk of heart problems and protects the body from cardiovascular disease, but the alcohol in it can cause health problems. New research suggests that purple grape juice may provide these same benefits, without the effects of alcohol.

A study in the June 12, 2001 issue of Circulation tested blood samples incubated with purple grape juice, and examined 20 subjects, 20 to 45 years old, who drank purple grape juice daily for two weeks. The purple grape juice inhibited blood clotting and increased antioxidants in both in- and out-of-body tests. Results were dose-dependent: the more juice a person drank, the more dramatic the effect on blood clotting and antioxidant levels.

The beneficial properties in red wine and purple grape juice appear to come from the presence of flavonoids, which are concentrated in the skins, seeds and stems of grapes. Purple and other dark-colored grapes offer much greater concentrations of flavonoid compounds than light-colored grapes.

Reference:

Freedman JE, Parker III C, Li L, et al. Select flavonoids and whole juice from purple grapes inhibit platelet function and enhance nitric oxide release. Circulation June 12, 2001:103, pp 2792-2798.

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