Antioxidants in Red vs. Green Grapes

Total phenolic content, a laboratory index of antioxidant strength, is higher in purple varieties due almost entirely to anthocyanin density in purple grape skin compared to absence of anthocyanins in white grape skin.[1]

Anthocyanins were the main phenolics in red grapes ranging from 69 (Crimson Seedless) to 151 (Flame Seedless) mg/kg fresh weight of grapes, whereas flavan-3-ols were the most abundant phenolics in the white varieties ranging from 52 (Dominga) to 81 (Moscatel Italica) mg/kg fresh weight of grapes. [2]

Red wine: Exercise in a bottle?

New research study published in the FASEB Journal (http://www.fasebj.org), suggests that the “healthy” ingredient in red wine, resveratrol, may prevent the negative effects that spaceflight and sedentary lifestyles have on people. 

Scientists studied rats that underwent simulated weightlessness by hindlimb tail suspension and were given a daily oral load of resveratrol. The control group showed a decrease in soleus muscle mass and strength, the development of insulin resistance, and a loss of bone mineral density and resistance to breakage. The group receiving resveratrol showed none of these complications. Study results further demonstrated some of the underlying mechanisms by which resveratrol acts to prevent the wasting adaptations to disuse-induced mechanical unloading.

The Stuff in Grapes vs. other foods…

So this article said :

Grapes contain large amounts of tartaric and malic acids. Also present in grapes are other acids like succinic, fumaric, glyceric, p-coumaric and caffeic, each functioning quietly with its own wonderful healing properties.

Well I did some digging and remembering, and the first few acids are components of the krebs cycle, and can help regulate it. This article adds:

A large percentage of patients with the disorder fibromyalgia who have high amounts of tartaric acid in the urine respond favorably to treatment with malic acid (11-13)

Coumaric and Caffeic acid are antioxidants, among other things.

The linked article also said that grapes were both anti-coagulants and anti-inflammatory so I got curious about that…

This article says:

Grapes contain flavonoids which are phytonutrients that reduce blood clotting properties.

This one says

The pigments in brightly colored fruits, vegetables and berries contain many phytochemicals that have anti-inflammatory properties. One example is quercetin, which is found in apple and red onion skins and has strong anti-inflammatory properties.

I think I will add this to my list of reasons to eat fruit…I think the conventional view of fats, carbs, proteins and vitamins is so wrong - there are many things that are not on said list that are actually quite important, and just because you eat your grains or whatever else you eat that lacks a lot of these things that right now aren’t given enough credit, your body suffers. I genuinely believe that American and world diets lean too much on grains and milk and synthetic sugars, and not enough of veggies, fruits and lean meats.

Grains have some antioxidants, but the values tend to be lower than those of fruits and vegetables, and you don’t often read about grains being an anti-coagulant or something anti-inflammatory - or having lots of anti-oxidants, etc.

When you drink wine, you might be drinking some snakes

At a wine seminar back in NC, I met a vineyard owner who is quite proud that his vineyard still hand-picks it’s grapes. Aside from being able to only the pick the best and ripe grapes, he cited one of the hidden benefits to this process is that most larger companies that use machines for harvest actually end up with a lot of snakes in the mix. As a wine lover (and extreme snake-fearer) this left me jaw-dropped for months.