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GRAPES - 4 ways grapes keep you healthy Grapes practically overflow with polyphenols, plant compounds that act as antioxidants and protect you from heart disease and cancer. They also have fiber, small amounts of vitamins, and important minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron. No wonder grapes were a popular food as far back as 3000 B.C. Today, grapes grow on vines and shrubs in warm areas around the world. * FIGHT FOR HEART DISEASE - The secret is in the skin. Grape skins contain reservation, a type of plant estrogen, also called a phytoestrogen. In your body reservation fights inflammation and prevents blood clots. Grape skins also contain the powerful falconoid quartering. It works as an antioxidant to prevent the low-density lipoprotein (LDL or bad) cholesterol from building up in your artery walls and blocking blood flow to your heart and brain. It also stops your blood from turning sticky and clumping together. Blood moves through your arteries more easily, taking some of the pressure off your heart and reducing your risk of stroke. * COMBATS CANCER - When it comes to battling cancer, reservation is something of a superhero. Researchers at the University of Illinois found this plant estrogen foils cancer at every turn by acting as an antioxidant and fighting inflammation, cell mutation, and tumors. Throw in the powerful antioxidant action of quartering and other falconoid - including the anthocyanins that give grapes their red color - and you’ve got an even stronger defense against dangerous free radicals that damage your cells and cause cancer. Just remember, heavy drinking - more than a couple of glasses of wine per day - greatly increases your risk of cancer. * AVOIDS EYE PROBLEMS - If you’re worried about your eyesight, you might want to start seeing red - red grapes, that is. Red seedless grapes are a good source of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. These carotenoids may protect against age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss in people over 50. * CRUSHES KIDNEY STONES - The pain of kidney stones is enough to drive anyone to drink. Oddly enough, that may be one good solution. Drinking more water helps flush stone-causing toxins our of your body, but grape juice is even more beneficial than your average water. Harvard studies indicate every 8-ounce daily glass of grape juice reduces the risk of stone formation by 39 percent for men and a whopping 59 percent for women. When shopping for table grapes, choose plump fruit still attached to the stem. You can store them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for about a week. Before eating, make sure you rinse them well in case they were sprayed with insecticide. |