Eating grapes may help lower blood pressure, says a study published in the Journal of Gerontology: Biological Sciences. Rats fed a salt-heavy diet were given red, green and purple table grapes in powder form. After 18 weeks, the rats that ate the grape-enriched diet had lower blood pressure, better heart function, reduced inflammation, and fewer signs of heart muscle damage than rats that weren’t fed grape powder. The study’s lead researcher believes that compounds within the grapes called flavonoids – also present in green tea, cocoa and tomatoes – effectively lowers cardiovascular risk in addition to lowering blood pressure. Eating a grape-heavy diet as treatment for hypertension has not yet been tested in humans. To match the grape powder dosage given to the rats, a human would have to consume about nine servings of grapes a day – at 15 grapes per serving.
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