Although many of us enjoy a glass of wine with dinner, others, for a wide variety of reasons, choose not to. The good news for nonwine drinkers is that you can receive similar benefits from drinking grape juice.
Studies have shown that purple grape juice contains the powerful, disease-fighting antioxidants called flavonoids, which are believed to give wine many of its heart-friendly benefits.
The flavonoids in grape juice, like those in wine, have been shown to prevent the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad" cholesterol that leads to the formation of plaque in artery walls.
In a study published in 1999 in the journal Circulation, researchers at the University of Wisconsin Medical School in Madison asked 15 patients who already showed clinical signs of cardiovascular disease to drink one glass of grape juice daily.
After 14 days, blood tests revealed that LDL oxidation in these patients was significantly reduced, and ultrasound images showed changes in the artery walls that indicated their blood was flowing more freely.
Grape juice can also lower the risk of developing the blood clots that lead to heart attacks.
Unlike wine, grape juice can be consumed in large amounts without the drinker becoming intoxicated. It thus provides the benefits without the side effects.
