Health Watch
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Grape juice may lower cholesterol
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BOSTON, Nov. 16 (UPI) --
U.S. researchers said Tuesday that drinking Concord grape juice can
significantly increase good cholesterol and ease the effects of coronary
artery disease.
Boston University researchers studied 20 subjects with a mean age of 63
years who previously had been diagnosed with coronary artery disease and
were on standard medications, including aspirin.
The study results were
doubly interesting, the researchers said, because similar effects on
cholesterol were thought to be possible by drinking red wine because of its
alcohol content. But because grape juice contains no alcohol, the
researchers said they will begin looking more closely at a group of
compounds called polyphenolics, which are found in both drinks.
"There has been great
interest in the possible benefits of drinking red wine for people with
cardiovascular disease," said Dr. Jane E. Freedman, associate professor of
medicine and pharmacology at BU. "But it has been offset, to a certain
extent, by concerns about promoting alcohol consumption. This has led to the
exploration of non-alcoholic grape products."
Freedman cautioned that although her study is preliminary and more
research needs to be done, it appears drinking purple grape juice may
suppress inflammatory markers that have been linked to cardiovascular
disease.
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