Grapes stop the downward spiral to heart disease

Eating plenty of grapes could stop the familiar downhill spiral to poor health that often begins with high blood pressure, which leads to insulin resistance, which causes type 2 diabetes and finally gets to heart disease. They can start having a positive effect within three months, say researchers, who reckon it’s down to the fruit’s phytochemicals, a naturally-occurring antioxidant. Researchers from the University of Michigan Health System have discovered that phytochemicals in grapes arrest a cluster of health concerns that are collectively known as metabolic syndrome. These include a large waist size, high blood pressure, reduced glucose tolerance, and raised c-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation. People who have several of the symptoms are far more likely to develop type 2 diabetes and heart disease. (Source: Proceedings of the Experimental Biology convention, April 26, 2010).