The grapes have it.A daily drink of alcohol, red wine in particular, has been shown to provide benefits against coronary heart disease coronary heart disease: see coronary artery disease. coronary heart disease or ischemic heart disease Progressive reduction of blood supply to the heart muscle due to narrowing or blocking of a coronary artery (see atherosclerosis). . Many a fitness-minded connoisseur has relied on that fact to feel good about wine with dinner--and for good reason. Red wine is loaded with flavonoids flavonoids, n.pl common plant pigment compounds that act as antioxidants, enhance the effects of vitamin C, and strengthen connective tissue around capillaries. , which have been associated with lower risk of heart disease. The wine is thought to improve the chemistry associated with LDL LDL - ["LDL: A Logic-Based Data-Language", S. Tsur et al, Proc VLDB 1986, Kyoto Japan, Aug 1986, pp.33-41]. (the bad cholesterol) preventing it from causing oxidative damage to the arteries. In addition, the flavonoids dilate dilate /di·late/ (di´lat) to stretch an opening or hollow structure beyond its normal dimensions. di·late v. To make or become wider or larger. (relax) the blood vessels, which may also reduce the risks of atherosclerosis. New research has shown that grape juice produces both these heart protective effects without the alcohol. In this research, 15 adults with documented coronary artery disease coronary artery disease, condition that results when the coronary arteries are narrowed or occluded, most commonly by atherosclerotic deposits of fibrous and fatty tissue. drank two glasses of purple grape juice a day for 14 days. Both dilation of the blood vessels and improvement of LDL oxidation were observed. If you don't want to drink alcohol, you may be able to enjoy the same preventive effects with grape juice. Be sure to choose the "juice only" alternatives rather than those with added sugars, even if they are fruit sugars. (Circulation, Vol. 100, No. 10, pp. 1050-1 055) |
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