Anticoagulant. Chemicals in grapes can help thin the blood, somewhat
the way aspirin does, preventing clots that provoke heart attacks and strokes.
Recent research by John Folts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical
School suggests that drinking two 6-ounce glasses of red wine can reduce
blood platelet stickiness, and thus the tendency to form hazardous clots,
by 40 percent within 45 minutes. Grape juice also works, he says, but it
takes three times as much purple grape juice for that same benefit.
Cholesterol Detoxifier. Antioxidants in red grapes and red wine
help prevent bad LDL cholesterol from oxidizing and clogging arteries,
says Edwin Frankel at the University of California at Davis. He finds
that grapes' antioxidants, of which there are at least 20, are as strong
as vitamin E in such artery protection. In his tests, red wines contain
10 times more antioxidants than white and block LDL oxidation by 46-100
percent compared with 3-6 percent for white wines.
Artery Relaxant. Chemicals in red grapes, purple grape juice
and red wine also seem to dilate and relax blood vessels, finds David
F. Fitzpatrick at the University of South Florida College of Medicine.
He speculates that such activity may reduce blood pressure and vascular
spasms, which can trigger heart attacks.
Energy Food. Raisins (dried grapes) are an excellent quick-energy
snack, even for diabetics, says Gene Spiller of the Health Research and
Studies Center in Los Altos, Calif. In new tests, he found that eating
raisins did not cause a typical let down or blood sugar drop a few hours
later, as did table sugar. He speculates that the raisins' fiber blocks
the blood sugar fall.
Laxative. Raisins have a mild laxative effect. They soften the
stool and speed transit time through the colon, Spiller has found in new
studies. This also could help protect against colon cancer, he notes.
To get the most
At the Supermarket: Look for fresh, plump grapes. Avoid ones
that are dried, wrinkled, sticky or discolored. Grape seeds are high in
antioxidants but usually aren't digested, so seedless grapes are OK. Choose
100 percent juice and beware of grape drinks, blends and punches, which
have less juice, more water and sugar. Read the labels.
In the Kitchen: Grapes in a plastic bag should last at least
a week in your refrigerator. Wash the grapes in cold water just before
serving.
What About...
-- Grape seed oil, sold in health-food stores and some markets, can
boost good-type HDL cholesterol. In one test, HDL rose 14 percent in people
on a low-fat diet who ate 2 tablespoons of grape seed oil each day for
four weeks. Mild-tasting, it can be used as a salad oil.
-- Grape seed extract, at health food stores, is packed with OPC antioxidants
(ogligomeric proanthocyanidins). They may help ward off heart disease
and other chronic disease, shows State University of New York at Buffalo
research.
Which is best?
Disease-fighting antioxidants are concentrated in a grape's skin and
seeds. Deeper pigments have more antioxidants.
-- Grapes. Black, red and purple are more antioxidant-rich than green
and white.
-- Wine. Red has more antioxidants than white. Why? Skins and seeds
generally are left in the mash when fermenting red wines, but not white.
-- Grape juice. Purple is high in antioxidants; white has little or
none.
-- Raisins. They're a concentrated source of antioxidants, with triple
the amount in fresh grapes.
The wine bottom line
-- If you drink alcohol, consider switching to wine in moderation, especially
red wine of any type. Drink red wine or purple grape juice with meals;
it may help counteract detrimental elements in food, especially in meat
and fatty foods. Restrict wine to one or two glasses a day.
-- If you don't drink alcohol now, don't start. Stick to purple grape
juice; black, purple and red grapes; and raisins.
