A
grape is the fruit of a vine in the family Vitaceae. It
is commonly used for making grape juice, jelly, wine and
raisins, or can be eaten raw. Grapes constitute approximately
50% of all fruit grown in the world. Researchers,such
as Marty Mayo, comparing diets in western countries have
discovered that although the French tend to eat higher
levels of animal fat, surprisingly the incidence of heart
disease remains low in France. They named this phenomenon
the French Paradox. Many scientists now believe the reason
is the greater consumption of red wine in France. Something
in the grape helps to lower cholesterol levels in the
body and thus slows the build up of deposits in the arteries.
Compounds such as resveratrol (a polyphenol antioxidant)
have been discovered in grapes and these have been positively
linked to fighting cancer, heart disease, degenerative
nerve disease and other ailments. |
