Health Benefits

Hover your mouse over each grape to learn some of the many health benefits of grapes!

GrapeInfographic Health Benefits

Cells

In a cell study of immune and fat cells, grapes were shown to reduce inflammation and insulin resistance (improved glucose uptake) by fat cells, thus helpign to protect important cell functions. Obesity and type 2 diabetes are both linked to chronic inflammation in fat tissue.

Liver

Boost “Liverlihood”!

According to a cell study, grape extract helped promote liver cell viability, growth and metabolic activity. Specifically, grapes positively influenced a critical cell communication pathway that regulates liver cell health. Additionally, grapes helped protect the cells against oxidative stress and mitochondrial injury.

Blood

“Grape” News For High Blood Pressure!

In a recent series of laboratory results, rats were fed a salty diet and their blood sugar rose as a result. When grapes were added to their diet blood pressure levels dropped, heart function improved and inflammation was reduced throughout their bodies. These animals also showed fewer signs of heart damage compared to those who did not receive grapes in their diet.

Eyes

All Eyes Are On Grapes!

In a recent laboratory study, grapes prevented blindness in mice that were prone to developing retinal damage in old age, similar to age-related macular degeneration in humans. When compared to lutein, grapes offered significantly more protection.

Joints

Decrease Joint Pain!

In a recent study using an animal model of arthritis, four different treatments in rats were studied: sugar water (control), grapes (in powder form), the commonly used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug meloxicam and a combined treatment with grapes and meloxicam. The grape-enriched diet reduced the amount of pain related to arthritis, while the drugs showed no impact on pain. However, the combination of grapes and meloxicam gave greater pain relief than either did on its own.

Heart

Love Your Heart!

Human studies have shown that eating a variety of grapes may help support heart health by improving blood flow, arterial flexibility and blood vessel function. Grape consumption may also prevent platelet aggregation, which can lead to clot formation. Grapes also promote healthy arteries by helping prevent the oxidation of bad “LDL” cholesterol, which is a key contributor to the build-up of plaque in the arteries.

Bladder

Good For Your Bladder!

A series of animal studies investigated the impact of adding grapes to the diet on bladder function. The studies showed that grapes provided an antioxidant effect that helped to prevent and delay the damaging effects of oxygen deprivation (ischemia) and free radicals to cells that result from a partial obstruction to the bladder. Grapes helped maintain membrane mitochondrial function in the cells, and reduce and reverse bladder damage caused by partial obstruction. The beneficial effects were attributed to the combination of multiple active components in grapes–not just one.

Prostate

Supporting Men’s Health!

Prostate enlargement is a significant concern for men. A series of animal studies showed that consuming grapes helped to protect against the loss of bladder function with a partial obstruction–similar to that resulting from an enlarged prostate–which can cause the bladder to weaken. Adding grapes to the diet provided a strong antioxidant effect and membrane-effective properties that significantly reduced and reversed bladder damage.

Brain

Grapes Are Brain Food!

In preliminary studies, grapes seem to help protect brain health by counteracting oxidative stress and inflammation, or by targeting the actions of certain genes involved in age-related diseases of the brain.

Colon

A Boost For Colon Health!

In a small human study of colon cancer patients, those who at two 2 1/2 cups of grapes per day for two weeks were able to inhibit certain genes that promote tumor growth in the colon. The benefit was observed in the healthy tissue of the subjects’ colons, not the cancerous, indicating a potential role for grapes in maintaining a healthy colon.