Imagine dinner out at your favorite fine dining restaurant.  The well-dressed waiter arrives at your table with the menus and while he is making you feel at home he asks if you would care to start with a beverage.  You reply “yes please, we’ll have a bottle of your finest purple – the purple concord”.

While most of you have seen the headlines declaring the health benefits of red wine, those of you who don’t like red wine will be happy to know that the benefits of grape juice are similar.  Those of you who do love red wine may simply enjoy a break at the cash register when buying grape juice instead of wine.  Purple grape juice contains the same powerful disease-fighting antioxidants, called flavonoids, which protect heart health. The benefits of grape juice may be due to a substance called resveratrol found in the skins and seeds of grapes and especially in dark purple concord grapes.

Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that purple grape juice helped protect heart health in those affected by coronary artery disease. Two weeks of grape juice therapy increased vasodilation (relaxed the blood vessels) and decreased harmful oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Grape juice also lowered the risk of developing blood clots that can lead to heart attacks.  Previous studies had all focused on red wine rather than on grape juice which led many to believe that it is the alcohol content in red wine that has these benefits.  This study demonstrated that the flavonoid components are the true heroes in the benefits of grape juice.

Purple grape juice works the same way red wine does. They both stimulate nitric oxide in the lining of the arteries and this encourages blood vessel flexibility. The flavonoid antioxidants slow down oxidation of LDL cholesterol or “bad” cholesterol in the arteries resulting in clear, healthier arteries.

For all you red wine lovers, I’ve got some sad news!!! Ounce for ounce purple grape juice outweighs red wine in the benefit department.

• The antioxidants of grape juice linger in the body longer than do those of red wine and this is because the alcohol in the red wine speeds up the breakdown of the antioxidant in the blood.
• Alcohol generates free radicals, unstable molecules that cause damage to cells, which counteract the effect of the antioxidants in red wine
• Red wine is only helpful when consumed in moderation of no more than one drink a day for women and two drinks daily for men.

For all of you red wine drinkers, cheer up!!! Red wine has one advantage that grape juice does not.  Alcohol has been shown to increase levels of HDL, the good cholesterol, in the blood. So continue to enjoy your daily glass of wine.  Besides, it’s quite likely you won’t find Purple Concord listed on the beverage menu!

Tags: antioxidants, benefits of grape juice, coronary artery disease, flavonoids, free radicals, healthier arteries, heart health, resveratrol