Dear Dr. Dave and Dr. Dee, Although wine may have some benefits (in moderation!), what about us non-alcoholic drinkers? Would eating red grapes or drinking grape juice be even better? Signed, Whining Dear Whining, Having a glass of purple grape juice is beneficial to your heart. Drinking purple grape juice is even better than drinking red wine because you can drink enough juice to get the health benefits without becoming intoxicated. Studies by John Folts, Ph.D. of the University of Wisconsin and Keevil, Osman, Jess, Reed, and Folts, compared different juices (grape, orange, and grapefruit) on platelet activity. The study found purple grape juice was associated with lower blood clotting and thus less risk of heart disease. In addition, regarding the benefits of wine, Dr. Folts had stated that to help prevent blood from clotting, the wine consumed would have to be at levels high enough to be declared legally drunk. In addition, Dr. Folts found that the amount of purple grape juice needed for beneficial effects was about 10-12 ounces a day, and had a cumulative protective effect over time. In another study, a comparison was made between wine with alcohol and wine without. The study by Jennifer RC Bell found that the flavonoid called Catechin in wine stayed in the body longer with the de-alcoholized wine compared to the regular wine. Purple grape juice also contains crushed seeds, which is rich in flavonoids. So, eating red grapes with seeds would be beneficial, but a large amount would be need to be consumed in order to match a glass of juice. For more information on these studies go to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition website at www.ajcn.org and the University of Wisconsin at www.news.wisc.edu/4751.html |
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| Diet and Nutrition: Food and Drink for Health |