X-Message-Number: 31299
Date: Wed, 24 Dec 2008 10:11:54 -0800 (PST)
From: 
Subject: grape juice may increase human lifespan

[Pure red grape juice improves multiple cardiovascular disease risk
factors in humans, and may also fight dementia. In hamsters, grape juice
was found to offer more protection against atherosclerosis than raw grapes
or apples.]

Biofactors. 2004;22(1-4):145-7.
Concord grape juice supplementation reduces blood pressure in Korean
hypertensive men: double-blind, placebo controlled intervention trial.
  Park YK, Kim JS, Kang MH. Department of Medical Nutrition, Kyunghee
University, 1 Hoekidong, Dongdaemoonku, Seoul 130-701, South Korea.
Many of the flavonoids found in grapes and grape products such as juice or
wine have been known to exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, platelet
inhibitory and arterial relaxing effects either in vitro, in animal studies
and in human trials. This study was designed to test the effect of Concord
grape juice consumption on altering blood pressure in hypertensive patients.
Forty subjects were given 5.5 ml/kg body weight/day of either Concord grape
juice (CGJ) or a calorie-matched placebo drink every day for 8 weeks. Blood
pressure (BP) was measured on weeks 0, 4 and 8. Compared to baseline, in the
CGJ group systolic BP was reduced on average by 7.2 mm Hg (p = 0.005) and
diastolic BP was reduced on average by 6.2 mm Hg (p = 0.001) at the end of 8
weeks. Comparable changes in the group getting the placebo product were -3.5
mm Hg (NS) and -3.2 mm Hg (p = 0.05) Consuming Concord grape juice, which is
high in polyphenolic compounds, may favorably affect BP in hypertensive
individuals.
PMID: 15630270

J Med Food. 2008 Mar;11(1):127-32.
Intake of purple grape juice as a hepatoprotective agent in Wistar rats.
    Dani C, Oliboni LS, Pasquali MA, Oliveira MR, Umezu FM, Salvador M,
Moreira JC, Henriques JA. Instituto de Biotecnologia, Universidade de Caxias
do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Brazil.
    Grape juice is a source of polyphenols, as catechin, anthocyanidins,
resveratrol, and others. Some health benefits have been attributed to these
compounds (e.g., antioxidant and antitumorigenic properties). In this study,
we investigated the possible antioxidant activity of two different grape
juices: organic purple grape juice and conventional purple grape juice. The
antioxidant activity of both grape juices was evaluated by an animal model
of three groups: control and organic and conventional juices. After 30 days,
all animals were sacrificed, and blood and liver were collected to evaluate
lipid peroxidation level (thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances [TBARS]
assay), protein oxidative level (carbonyl assay), and catalase (CAT) and
superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities. The group treated with organic grape
juice showed the highest SOD and CAT activities in both plasma and liver
when compared with the conventional and control groups (P < .05). In plasma,
we observed a positive correlation among SOD and CAT activities,
resveratrol, and all anthocyanin contents, suggesting that these polyphenols
may be, at least in part, responsible for this increased antioxidant
defense. The grape juices were capable of reducing carbonyl and lipid
peroxidation levels in plasma and liver. However, in plasma, the organic
group showed lower carbonyl and TBARS levels when compared to the
conventional grape juice group (P < .05). Our findings suggest that the
intake of purple grape juice, especially of organic juice, induces a better
antioxidant capacity when compared to conventional juice and that this may
be an important issue for further investigations in the area of biochemical
functional foods.
PMID: 18361748

[Heat treatment of the grapes, is believed to be responsible for the
superior protection of grape juice over raw grapes against atherosclerosis.
Aortic lesion area was reduced 48% by apples, 60% by apple juice, 78% by
grapes, and 93% by grape juice.]

Mol Nutr Food Res. 2008 Apr;52(4):400-7.
Phenolics from purple grape, apple, purple grape juice and apple juice
prevent early atherosclerosis induced by an atherogenic diet in hamsters.
    Decorde K, Teissedre PL, Auger C, Cristol JP, Rouanet JM. EA 4188
Nutrition Humaine, Biodisponibilite et Atherogenese, Universite Montpellier
1 & 2, Montpellier, France.
    Knowledge of the effects of processing on the antioxidant properties of
fruits is limited. We investigated the processing of apple (A) and purple
grape (PG) and their juices (AJ and PGJ) in hypercholesterolemic hamsters.
Five groups of eight hamsters each were fed an atherogenic diet for 12 wk.
They received daily by gavage either 7.14 mL/(kg x day) of mashed A or PG,
or the same volume of AJ or PGJ, or water as control. Plasma cholesterol,
non-HDL cholesterol, liver superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase
activities, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances were efficiently
reduced by the fruits and their juices compared with controls, whereas
plasma antioxidant capacity was increased and aortic fatty streak area was
decreased from 48 to 93%. For each of these parameters, the efficacy was PGJ
 > PG > AJ > A. The results show for the first time that long-term
consumption of antioxidants supplied by apple and purple grape, especially
phenolic compounds, prevents the development of atherosclerosis in hamsters,
and that processing can have a major impact on the potential health benefits
of a product. The underlying mechanism is related mainly to increased
antioxidant status and improved serum lipid profile.
PMID: 18214852

Nutrition. 2006 Mar;22(3):295-302. Epub 2006 Jan 18.
Effects of Concord grape juice on cognitive and motor deficits in aging.
  Shukitt-Hale B, Carey A, Simon L, Mark DA, Joseph JA. USDA-ARS, Human
Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston,
Massachusetts, USA.
  OBJECTIVE: Animals and humans show increased motor and cognitive declines
with aging that are thought to be due to increased susceptibility to the
long-term effects of oxidative stress and inflammation. Previous findings
have suggested that reversals in these age-related declines might be
accomplished by increasing the dietary intake of polyphenolics found in
fruits and vegetables, especially those identified as being high in
antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. METHODS: We investigated the
beneficial effects of two concentrations of Concord grape juice (10% and
50%) compared with a calorically matched placebo for their effectiveness in
reversing age-related deficits in behavioral and neuronal functions in aged
Fischer 344 rats. RESULTS: Rats that drank the 10% grape juice from age 19
to 21 mo had improvements in oxotremorine enhancement of K+-evoked release
of dopamine from striatal slices and in cognitive performance on the Morris
water maze, and the 50% grape juice produced improvements in motor function.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that, in addition to their known
beneficial effects on cancer and heart disease, polyphenolics in foods may
be beneficial in reversing the course of neuronal and behavioral aging,
possibly through a multiplicity of direct and indirect effects that can
affect a variety of neuronal parameters.
PMID: 16412610

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