NaturalNews April 25 2013
Research just presented at the Experimental Biology conference held in Boston this week reveals that grapes contain powerful health promoting properties. Specifically, natural components known as polyphenols appear to protect against organ damage associated with the progression of metabolic syndrome – a group of conditions that occurs together and includes high blood pressure, abdominal fat and elevated cholesterol levels.
The study, headed by scientist E. Mitchell Seymour, Ph.D., of the University of Michigan Health System, looked at the effects of a high fat, American-style diet both with and without grapes on the heart, liver, kidneys, and fat tissue in obesity-prone rats. The grapes used were a blend of red, green and black varieties freeze-dried into a grape powder and mixed into the animals’ diets for three months.
The results? After just three months of a grape-enriched diet, inflammatory markers throughout the animals’ bodies were dramatically reduced — most significantly in the liver and in abdominal fat tissue. What’s more, there was also a reduction in liver, kidney and abdominal fat weight, compared with those consuming the control diet with no grapes. The grape diet increased markers of antioxidant defense, particularly in the liver and kidneys, as well.