Grape juice may be as good for the heart as red wine

A new study by French scientists has found that Concord grape juice may be just as protective against heart disease as red wine. The study, by researchers at the Universite Louis Pasteur de Strasbourg and published in Cardiovascular Research, found that the grape juice stimulated the same chemical reactions in arteries that are activated by red wine. This shows that the components of the grape, rather than alcohol, produce the beneficial effect for the heart. However, just as with red wine, not all grape juice has a positive effect. The key is that it must be high in polyphenols, like Concord purple grape juice.

Cardiovascular expert Professor Roger Corder, whose book The Wine Diet promotes the drinking of red wine every day for a healthy life, told ThirtyFifty that, ‘The observations are consistent with previous experimental studies of purple grape juice.’ In fact, Professor Corder sites it in his book as one of the alternatives to red wine consumption.

He believes that, ’What is needed now is a clinical trial to compare how similar the effects are of red wine and purple grape juice. Then we would know more about the daily amounts to recommend,’ he said.

Concord grape juice is available in the UK as Welch’s Purple Grape Juice.