Grapes may protect against heart attack and stroke.🍇🍇🍇

Grapes are a very popular fruit. It can be eaten directly, made into raisins, or
made into wine. Grapes contain minerals calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iron and a variety of vitamins such as vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin C and vitamin P. It also contains a variety of amino acids required by the human body. Regular consumption of grapes is of great benefit to neurasthenia and excessive fatigue. A recent study led by professor Zhaoping Li, a nutritionist and professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, showed that eating grapes can increase the diversity of gut bacteria and reduce lower cholesterol levels in the blood.

Eating grapes can significantly increase the diversity of gut bacteria.

The researchers found that eating grapes significantly increased the diversity of bacteria in the gut, which is thought to be essential for a strong immune system. In addition, eating grapes can significantly reduce cholesterol levels. Cholesterol is a fat-like substance in our blood that clogs arteries and causes heart disease. Eating grapes has also been found to reduce bile acid levels. Bile acids play an integral role in metabolizing or processing cholesterol. Some fruits like grapes and apples are known to contain antioxidants called polyphenols (which are organic compounds found naturally in plants) that keep blood vessels healthy for good circulation. Polyphenols and other phytochemicals can also lower and help control blood sugar and blood pressure levels, and reduce chronic inflammation. High blood sugar and blood pressure are risk factors for heart disease.

Professor Li said it was good news that they found that grapes can be beneficial to gut bacteria. Because a healthy gut is vital to good health. This research could deepen their knowledge and expand the range of grapes' health benefits. The study also reinforces possible evidence for the heart-healthy benefits of cholesterol-lowering grapes.

Eating grapes has beneficial effects on glucose and lipid metabolism as well as the integrity of the intestinal lining.

For the study, based on fecal samples from older adults, the researchers analyzed their microbiomes ( which contain the trillions of microbes). A total of 19 healthy subjects in the study consumed a low polyphenol and low fiber diet for 4 weeks. For another four weeks, they took 46 grams of grape powder daily for four weeks while continuing to eat a diet low in fiber and polyphenols. Fecal and urine samples were collected before and at the end of the grape powder supplementation period. After eating grape powder for four weeks, the researchers measured an increase in microbial diversity in their samples. Akkermansia bacteria were found among the increased beneficial bacteria. It's a bacterium of interest to researchers. Because of its beneficial effects on glucose and lipid metabolism as well as the integrity of the intestinal lining. In addition, they observed a drop in blood cholesterol. It included a 6.1% drop in total cholesterol and a 5.9% drop in LDL cholesterol. They also found a 40.9% reduction in bile acids. They are steroid acids that involved in cholesterol metabolism. The researching team said the findings suggest a promising new role for grapes in gut health and reinforce the benefits of grapes for heart health. 

Flavonoids have a positive effect on blood pressure levels.

Previous research has also shown a link between eating grapes in many forms (including red wine) and heart benefits. In 2021, research teams from Germany and Northern Ireland found that drinking three 125ml glasses of red wine a week could lower blood pressure. Another phytochemical called flavonoids appears to have a positive effect on blood pressure levels, according to the team. Flavonoids are a rich nutrient found in fruits, vegetables, tea and other plant foods. 

In the past, researchers have also done related experiments. Back in 2010, researchers at the University of Michigan studied mixing common table grape powder (a mixture of green, red and black grapes) into the diets of lab rats as a part of a high-fat diet and observed the effect after consumption in rats. After three months, the rats that received the grape powder-enriched diet had lower blood pressure, better heart function, and lower markers of inflammation in the heart and blood, compared with the rats that didn't receive the grape powder.

For more detail, you can read this article.👇

Jieping Yang et al, Effect of Standardized Grape Powder Consumption on the Gut Microbiome of Healthy Subjects: A Pilot Study, Nutrients (2021). DOI: 10.3390/nu13113965

The link to download the article.