Does grape juice offer the same heart benefits as red wine?
Possibly. It’s thought that red or purple grape products may reduce your risk of heart disease by relaxing your blood vessels, allowing your blood to more easily flow. This benefit is most likely due to substances called antioxidants found in the skin and seeds of grapes — especially dark red and purple grapes. One particularly important antioxidant, resveratrol, is also found in grape juice — especially juice made from dark purple Concord grapes. Recent studies have suggested that red and purple grape juices may provide some of the same heart benefits of red wine, including: • Reducing the risk of blood clots • Reducing low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad”) cholesterol • Preventing damage to blood vessels in your heart • Helping maintain a healthy blood pressure Both red wine and grape juice also contain antioxidants called flavonoids, which have been shown to increase your high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or “good”) cholesterol and lower your risk of clogged arteries (atherosclerosis
