Grapes & health: how grapes could help stroke patients recover
If you eat grapes, you may be able to minimise the
brain damage caused by a stroke, according to a recent study.
Delayed reaction
We already know that grapes are good for us. Dark-skinned grapes in particular contain
resveratrol, an antioxidant that has been shown to reduce
cardiovascular and cancer
risks. The reputation of red wine as a relatively healthy alcoholic beverage is due primarily to the effects of resveratrol. When a blockage reduces blood flow and triggers a stroke, the brain's oxygen supply is interrupted, prompting neurons to release
amino acids. This causes calcium to move into the neurons and triggers the generation of free radicals, which can cause delayed cell death several days after the initial onset of a stroke. A UM-C team found that resveratrol neutralised enough free radicals to help prevent some of the
neuron damage. The press release states, "The researchers found a remarkable difference between brain cells that had been treated with resveratrol and those that had not."
Cheers!
Rather than dwell on the effects of strokes, let's turn our attention instead to the obvious health benefits of
resveratrol - a list of benefits that seems to get longer with each passing year. So whether you care to enjoy a glass of red wine or grape juice, either way you can rest assured that you're helping to maintain good health.
