Purple grape juice (WAS: Low-carb beer)

[Guest guest]

> I've heard Harvey ... say that a six ounce

> glass of Welchs grape juice has the same

> help as one glass of red wine. I also found it on

> the net

> http://www.welchs.com/healthy/health_purplejuice.html

Thanks, Bill - and the effect shows up in the arteries after taking

the juice for only two weeks! That sounds like something worth trying

out. There must be a down side to it somewhere but I wouldn't expect

to see that mentioned on Welch's site.

But also on their site I read:

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" At the same time, Freedman found that platelets bathed in purple

grape juice also released 55% less superoxide — a free radical

— than platelets in the control solution.

" We also believe that the release of superoxide contributes to

thrombus formation as well, by rendering the nitric oxide

ineffective. Thus, a patient with coronary artery disease who has low

levels of nitric oxide and high levels of superoxide may be likelier

to experience a potentially dangerous thrombus formation than a

person with normal levels. Seeing the ability of purple grape juice

to increase nitric oxide production combined with its ability to

suppress superoxide production gives us a better understanding of why

drinking purple grape juice may support healthy cardiovascular

function. "

Finally, Freedman was able to show the beneficial effects of a

specific flavonoid called quercetin, one of many polyphenolic

compounds found in purple grape juice. She found that platelet

incubation with quercetin inhibited PMA-induced stimulation of

protein kinase C – a pathway by which platelet aggregation is

increased.

" There have always been questions about the role of alcohol in the

health benefits of drinking red wine, " says Freedman. " However, it

carries with it its own set of problems and concerns. Isolating the

effects of quercetin is important because it suggests that purple

grape juice may be a legitimate, non-alcoholic alternative to red

wine. "

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I would like to have read what has to be done to measure the levels

of nitric oxide and superoxide in my blood before I start out on it

and then again after a few weeks so that I will know if it

has " worked for me " , as we say!

Superoxide is the stuff that plays a big part in immune protection,

too - or so I understand - and is what I read is most affected by

lymphocytes shrinking due to the effect of elevated blood sugar - and

the main cause of diabetic's increased sensitivity to infection.

Thanks for the reference.