Grapes may seem like a sugary fruit you wouldn’t want to eat if you have blood sugar problems… but eating them can reduce inflammation and improve your heart health if you have metabolic disease or even diabetes.
Previous research at the University of Connecticut showed that polyphenols – the natural plant chemicals found in grapes that help them stay hearty in all kind of environments – help reduce blood pressure, improve blood flow and fight inflammation that can lead to atherosclerosis.
A new study published last month confirmed this effect. “The results of this study show that grape polyphenols have significant effects on the level of blood glucose, lipid profile, blood pressure, as well as beneficial activities in liver and heart,” wrote the authors.
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of health problems that frequently occur simultaneously and increase your risk for diabetes and heart disease. They include elevated blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, low levels of HDL (good cholesterol) and high levels of blood triglycerides (blood fats). Metabolic syndrome is a major public health concern and is on the rise in the U.S.
“These results suggest that consuming grapes can improve important risk factors associated with heart disease, in a population that is already at higher risk,” says researcher Maria Luz Fernandez. “This further supports the accumulating evidence that grapes can positively influence heart health, and extends it to men with metabolic syndrome.”
All you need to do is eat a small bunch of grapes – something like 15 or so medium-sized – spread out through the day as part of a diabetes plan, and you can eat a few more if you’re not diabetic. There is no type of grape better than another … try for a mix of red, black and green grapes.
