Grape and apple juices fight clogged arteries
Grape and apple juices may provide a natural shield against clogged arteries, according to French researchers, who studied hamsters that were fed apples, purple grapes, apple juice, and grape juice or water along with a fatty diet.
The research, carried out by scientists at the University of Montpellier, found that hamsters which consumed grape juice had the lowest probability of developing clogged arteries, with the benefits being derived from the juice’s high levels of antioxidant phenols.
The amount of fruit the hamsters consumed was the human equivalent of three apples or three bunches of grapes per day.
Hamsters given juice drank the human equivalent of four glasses per day for a person weighing 154 pounds.
Compared with hamsters given water, those that took fruit or fruit juice had less oxidative stress, lower cholesterol levels, and less fat accumulation in their aorta, the primary vessel which pumps oxygenated blood through the body.
