Grapes
Research shows that your blood will get two important benefits: More antioxidants will be circulating in it, and bad LDL cholesterol may cause less trouble because it’s more stable.
Two for You
Having extra antioxidants in your blood is always a good thing: They help guard your cells against the kind of free-radical damage that provides a toehold for disease. And more stable LDL is incredibly desirable, too, because stable LDL is less likely to oxidize and stick to artery walls.
Juice It Up
Grape juice has fewer antioxidants than wine, so you may need to drink more to get the same benefit. Sip real juice, not fruit-flavored drinks — you’ll get more nutrients and less sugar. And keep tabs on your intake, since juice is not a calorie freebie.
Grapes contain chemical cousins — pterostilbene and resveratrol — that work as a cleanup crew, mopping up nasty free radicals in your body so they’re less likely to cause problems such as heart disease and cancer.
Protective Phenols
In a study of mice, pterostilbene and resveratrol — phenolic compounds found mainly in grape skins — had an antioxidant-like knack for knocking out breast cancer cell processes. It’s early news though; researchers still need to examine how the grape compounds affect human cancer cells.
Great Grape Nutrients
But we already know that the resveratrol in grapes has heart-protective properties, regardless of its effect on cancer. And grapes have lots of other good things going for them — like anthocyanins, which attack disease-fostering inflammation, and vitamin C. So don’t wait for further evidence before improving your health with a juicy bunch.
Brick ONeil 