What are the benefits of consuming purple grape juice?!
What are the benefits of consuming purple grape juice?
Answers:
A glass of purple grape juice a day will leave you feeling in the pink.
It is the most effective of all fruit juices at preventing heart disease and cancer, according to research.
Scientists found it had the highest concentration of antioxidants - chemicals which help to neutralise unstable oxygen molecules called free radicals.
If left unchecked, these molecules can harm cells, playing a role in everything from ageing to cancer.
It has long been known that fruit contains antioxidants called polyphenols, but researchers at the University of Glasgow wanted to see how much remained once fruit had been turned into juice.
They tested 13 types from a supermarket, including those made from pomegranates, grapefruit, apples, pineapples and tomatoes.
They were a mixture of 'not from concentrate' and 'concentrated' varieties.
A drink made from purple Concord grapes had the greatest level of antioxidants, with cloudy apple, tropical and cranberry juices coming in next.
Generally the darker juices were best, with purple grapes having the highest levels of polyphenols, according to the study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.
The winning juice, Welch's Purple Grape, was made from a variety of grapes known as Concord which are native to North America. These contained as many antioxidants as Beaujolais red wine.
The next best drink was Copella's cloudy apple juice.
The researchers said that it might not just be the amount of antioxidants, but also the type contained in a juice, that determine its potential health benefits.
Professor Alan Crozier, who led the study, said: "Previous research has shown that the antioxidant action of polyphenols contained in drinks like red wine and tea may help to protect against chronic diseases, by mopping up free radicals which can cause damage to cells.
"Yet the research highlights that not all drinks are created equal when it comes to polyphenols.
"It's therefore important to consider the individual type of the compounds that you are consuming, because each has different health benefits."
Nutritionist Nigel Denby said the research showed that consumers must aim to get a broad spectrum of antioxidants in their diet.
"Nutritionists recommend consuming five portions of fruit and vegetables every day to get the antioxidants your body needs, and this can seem like a tall order," he said.
"Using these study findings makes upping your fruit and antioxidant intake easy - just one glass of something like Concord purple grape juice counts as one of your five a day."
And there's another reason to drink up - last year researchers found that having fruit and vegetable juices more than three times a week can dramatically cut the risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease.
Source(s):
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/ar...
http://www.google.ca/search?sourceid=nav...
Vitamin C and hydration.
Vitamin C = Antioxidant
I've heard that the tannins that are present in red wine are also in purple grape juice...although it was just a preliminary study.
I came here to give you these facts. It is no concern of ours how you run your own planet. But if you threaten to extend your violence, this Earth of yours will be reduced to a burned-out cinder.
Good for thirst, constipation and be energetic
Benefits of Concord and Purple Grape Products
Grape juice and grape jellies and jams are long-time favorites of children and adults alike. These products contain natural carbohydrates that are easily digested and provide instant energy. America’s favorite grape juice and grape jelly come from Concord grapes. Concord grape juice, jams and jellies are low in sodium and contain no fat or cholesterol. One cup of 100% Concord grape juice contains 75% of the potassium of a banana. As with other natural fruit products, Concord grape juice contains a variety of naturally occurring vitamins and minerals.
Recent research on phytochemicals has focused on flavonoids contained in Concord and other purple grape juice. Concord grape products fit perfectly into the movement toward more healthy eating. Research regarding the health benefits of grapes and grape products is ongoing.
See information on recent studies below:
Drinking Concord Grape Juice May Reduce Blood Pressure In Hypertensive Men
Study Shows Drinking Concord Grape Juice Slowed LDL Oxidation
Purple Grape Juice May Provide Welcome Option for Women Worried About Urinary Tract Infections, According to Welch's
Drinking Purple Grape Juice Daily Improves Arterial Elasticity In Patients With Heart Disease
Two Recent Studies Point To "Heart-Healthy" Effects Of Drinking Purple Grape Juice
Circulation Article Reports Ways Purple Grape Juice May Fight Narrowing of the Arteries
Dangerous Cardiovascular Effect of Second Hand Smoke May Be Reduced By Drinking Purple Grape Juice
Drinking Concord Grape Juice May Reduce Blood Pressure In Hypertensive Men
San Diego, CA (April 14, 2003)-Men with elevated blood pressure who drank Concord grape juice for twelve weeks experienced a significant drop in both their systolic and diastolic blood pressures, according to results from a preliminary study presented at Experimental Biology 2003.
"This is one of the first randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies to use a whole juice-in this case Concord grape juice," explains study author Kevin Maki, Ph.D., Director, Nutrition and Metabolism Research Unit, Radiant Research, Chicago. "In our study, blood pressure was measured as part of the basic health information of the study participants. When we reviewed the data, we saw reductions of nearly six points in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements among the hypertensive men drinking Concord grape juice. Those on the calorie-matched placebo showed no significant change."
The study, presented at the annual meeting of FASEB, the Federation for American Societies of Experimental Biology, looked at 80 healthy males, ages 45 to 70. For 12 weeks, half drank an average of 12 ounces of Concord grape juice per day and half drank the same amount of a placebo beverage designed to look and taste like grape juice.
Median baseline systolic blood pressure was 132 mm Hg. At the conclusion of the study, the 19 participants with above-median systolic blood pressure who drank Concord grape juice showed a drop from an average baseline systolic blood pressure of 142.7 mm Hg to 137.0 (p< 0.05), and from 87.9 to 82.1 mm Hg (p<0.05) for diastolic blood pressure. The 17 participants with above-median blood pressure who consumed the placebo showed no change from baseline. The systolic and diastolic differences between treatments were significant (p<0.05).
"While additional studies are necessary to confirm these results, it is exciting that drinking Concord grape juice every day may be an easy way for hypertensive individuals to significantly lower their blood pressure," notes Maki.
The US National High Blood Pressure Education Program estimates that lowering systolic blood pressure by 5 points would result in a 14% reduction in deaths from stroke and a 9% reduction from heart disease.
The study authors point to two previous clinical studies showing that consuming Concord grape juice improved arterial wall flexibility (demonstrated by increased flow-mediated vasodilation) as suggesting a possible mechanism of action for the reduced blood pressure. Recent research has also shown the ability of purple grape juice to slow the oxidation of LDL cholesterol as well as inhibit the tendency of blood to clot. Both functions contribute to maintaining healthy cardiovascular function.
The study was underwritten by Welch Foods Inc.
All fruits are good for health
Grape is especially very good for blood ciruclation
(remember wine also is good for health)
Grapes contain beneficial compounds called flavonoids, which are phytonutrients that give the vibrant purple color to grapes, grape juice and red wine; the stronger the color, the higher the concentration of flavonoids.
These flavonoid compounds include quercitin, as well as a second flavonoid-type compound (falling into the chemical category of stilbenes)called resveratrol. Both compounds appear to decrease the risk of heart disease by:
Reducing platelet clumping and harmful blood clots
Protecting LDL cholesterol from the free radical damage that initiates LDL's artery-damaging actions
Grapes also provide protection against Heart Disease
First, it increases levels of nitric oxide, a compound produced in the body that helps reduce the formation of clots in blood vessels.
Second, decreases platelet aggregation, or blood clotting, by red blood cells.
Third, increases levels of alpha-tocopherol, an antioxidant compound that is a member of the vitamin E family, as well as increase in plasma antioxidant activity.
Fourth, phenolic compounds in grape skins inhibit protein tyrosine kinases, a group of enzymes that play a key role in cell regulation. Compounds that inhibit these enzymes also suppress the production of a protein that causes blood vessels to constrict, thus reducing the flow of oxygen to the heart. This protein, called endothelin-1, is thought to be a key contributing agent in the development of heart disease.
Besides
Grapes are good for hypertension,
Its resveratrol helps keep heart muscle flexible and healthy
The grapes' saponins suppors heart health
Pterostilbene, another antioxidant in grapes, lowers cholesterol
Grape polyphenols lower key factors for coronary heart disease in women
Resveratrol is also used as a cancer-preventive agent in prostate, lung, liver and breast cancer.
Grapes' Resveratrol also lowers Risk of Alzheimer's Disease
Resveratrol is also ann Anti-Aging Agent
Like this, there are more and more benefits in taking grapes.
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Be young at heart! Maintaining heart health can help improve the quality of your life, so make heart health a health priority for yourself and your family. A growing body of preliminary research suggests that Concord grape juice, such as in Welch’s Purple 100% Grape Juice, may help maintain cardiovascular health when consumed as part of a balanced diet. Click on one of the links below to learn more, or simply scroll down the page.