Some newer research studies have been focusing on articulating the impact that regular grape consumption has on human and animal brains. So far, it’s looking quite promising!
Here’s a very brief summary of the research findings I found most interesting!
Human subjects were asked to consume whole grape powder that is the equivalent to 2 1/4 cups of grapes per day. The results? The subjects who consumed a grape-enriched diet, versus those who did not, showed preserved healthy metabolic activity in the regions of the brain that are known to be associated with early Alzheimer’s disease.
In animal studies, animals were either fed low or high amounts of grapes as a part of their diet. Both showed to be beneficial and helped protect brain neurons from oxidative damage and cell death. Both diets also showed that grape consumption reduced inflammation in the support cells to brain neurons.
Find out more on the research about the impact of grapes by viewing the full research studies as cited below!
1. Lee, J.K., Torosyan, N., & Silverman, D.H. (2017). Examining the impact of grape consumption on brain metabolism and cognitive function in patients with mild decline in cognition: A double-blinded placebo controlled pilot study. Experimental Gerontology, 87 (Pt A), 121-128.
2. Wang, Q., Simonyi, A., Li, W., Sisk, B.A., Miller, R.L., MacDonald, R.S., …Sun, A.Y. (2005). Dietary grape supplement ameliorates cerebral ischemia-induced neuronal death in gerbils. Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, 49, 443-451.
3. Allam F., Dao, A.T., Ghugh, G., Bohat, R., Jafri, F., Patki, G., …Salim, S. (2013, June). Grape powder supplementation prevents oxidative stress-induced anxiety-like behavior, memory impairment, and high blood pressure in rats. Journal of Nutrition, 143(6), 835-842. doi: 10.3945/jn.113.174649
4. Patki, G., Allam, F.H., Atrooz, F., Dao, A.T., Solanki, N., Chugh, G., … Salim, S. (2013, September). Grape powder intake prevents ovariectomy-induced anxiety-like behavior, memory impairment and high blood pressure in female Wistar rats. PLoS ONE, 8(9), e74522. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0074522
5. Solanki, N., Alkadhi, I., Atrooz, F., Patki, G., & Salim, S. (2015, January). Grape powder prevents cognitive, behavioral and biochemical impairments in a rat model of post-traumatic stress disorder. Journal of Nutrition Research, 35(1), 65-75. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2014.11.008
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