Grapes can reduce the chances of heart failure associated with hypertension

Heart failure is the leading cause of death in the aged. With more than 970 million hypertensive people worldwide, and more than double the number of people at risk for heart failure, scientists are now intensively looking for solutions. Untreated chronic high blood pressure leads to heart failure where the heart muscles become stiff and thickened (fibrosis) and are not able to fill up with blood.

Studies have shown that oxidative stress plays an important role in causing heart failure. Oxidative stress occurs when there is an excess production of reactive oxygen species in comparison with the levels of antioxidants. This imbalance is called impaired antioxidant defense. The levels of antioxidants in the heart need to be increased through intake of antioxidant rich diet to effectively intervene in this condition.

Researchers at University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center used whole grapes as a model of a antioxidant rich food and tested them on hypertensive heart failure-prone rats for 18 weeks. They found that grape intake reduced cardiac hypertrophy (thickening of heart muscle) and fibrosis, and also improved diastolic function. They also found that grape intake significantly increased gene activity related to antioxidant defense.

They have identified that the whole grapes will be superior to any individual grape component, in each of the areas being investigated. The whole fruit contains hundreds of individual components, which we suspect likely work together to provide a synergistic beneficial effect.