Philadelphia, PA, October 28, 2008 – A growing body of research
data suggests that consuming foods rich in polyphenols from
grapes, including red wine, helps reduce the risk of heart
disease, according to a review article in the November issue of
Nutrition Research. "Consumption of grape and grape extracts
and/or grape products such as red wine may be beneficial in
preventing the development of chronic degenerative diseases such
as cardiovascular disease," write Wayne R. Leifert, Ph.D., and
Mahinda Y. Abeywardena, Ph.D., of Commonwealth Scientific and
Industrial Research Organisation in Adelaide, Australia. The
authors review the accumulating evidence that grape polyphenols
work in many different ways to prevent cardiovascular and other
"inflammatory-mediated" diseases. Polyphenols are natural
antioxidants found in grapes and some other plant foods. Their
types and actions vary, depending on where in the grape they are
found. Grape seeds, grape skin, and grape juice contain several
types of polyphenols, inclu