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Health Benefits of Red and White Wines and Juices Dr. David J. Demko, Gerontologist and Editor AgeVenture News Service 
Grape News for the health conscious. But first, flash back to the early 1990's for the juicy details.
Back then, researchers discovered the secret ingredient protecting French hearts from cardio-vascular disease. Despite the fat-intense French diet, the consumption of red wine kept French hearts healthy. Voila ! But that was then ... and this is ... now. Red wine enthusiasts can no longer boast, "Vive la difference" because frankly my dear, nobody gives a damn, not anymore. Read on and find out why. Now, a cutting-edge study finds that red wine and white wine are equally good for the heart. So says the Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemistry (JAFC). That's because the heart-protecting ingredient (polyphenolic anti-oxidants) found in grapes resides in both the skin and flesh of the grape. Skin color is of little consequence. Researchers now concur that grape wine (red or white) and grape juice (red or white) are equally beneficial. The grape itself, not the alcohol content of grape wine, is the source of the heart-healthy benefits. More good news. You don't have to be a wine enthusiast in order to benefit from grapes. The heart-healthy benefits derived from "grapes" are available in 5 forms. From the grape itself (grape skin, flesh, seeds) and from grape beverages (wine, juice). Earlier studies indicated that the cardio-protective compounds in grapes (polyphenolic anti-oxidants) resided only in the skin and seeds. The researchers concluded that the heart-healthy chemicals investigated in this study are virtually absent in commonly consumed fruits and vegetables. As such, the only probable dietary source of the heart-healthy chemicals is found in grapes. This study was supported in part by the National Institute of Health and a grant from the California Table Grape Commission. Dipak K. Das, University Of Connecticut School Of Medicine, headed the study in cooperation with colleagues from the University of Milan and research institutes in Italy. Photo Credit: AgeVenture News Service. Read more about healthy foods in AgeVenture's "You Are What You Eat" |