Eating Grapes Reduces Risk Of Heart Disease And Diabetes In Animal Study

April 27, 2010: 12:11 PM EST

Naturally occurring antioxidants known as phytochemicals found in grapes may help slow the downhill slide of high blood pressure and insulin resistance toward heart disease and type 2 diabetes, new animal research has found. U.S. scientists mixed powdered table grapes into the high-fat diets of lab rats bred to be obese. The rats that ate the grape-enriched diet had lower blood pressure, better heart function, and reduced indicators of heart and blood inflammation after three months than the control group of rats. They also had lower triglycerides, improved glucose tolerance and no change in body weight. The researchers will launch a clinical trial this summer to test the impact of grape product consumption on heart risk factors in humans.

E. Mitchell Seymour, Ph.D., et al., "Grapes Reduce Risk Factors for Heart Disease, Diabetes", Presentation at the Experimental Biology convention (Anaheim, Calif.), April 26, 2010, © University of Michigan Health System

Domains

HEALTH & WELLNESS
Body
Food & Nutrition
Conditions
Heart & Cardiovascular
Other Food & Nutrition
Diabetes
Obesity

Geographies

Worldwide
North America
United States of America

Eating Grapes Reduces Risk Of Heart Disease And Diabetes In Animal Study

Domains

Geographies

Categories