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How Red Grapes' Antioxidant Rich Fibres Could Benefit Heart Health
The latest research findings from Spain have revealed that antioxidant-rich fibres from red grapes may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease more effectively than other fibre sources. According to the results of the randomised, controlled parallel-group trial conducted by researchers at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, cholesterol levels were cut by nine per cent, and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol by a similar amount after 34 subjects received a daily grape antioxidant dietary fibre supplement for 16 weeks. Moreover, blood pressure was reduced by about 5 per cent as a result of the grape supplements.
Commenting on the findings, lead researcher Jara Perez Jimenez said: "Grape antioxidant dietary fibre showed significant reducing effects in lipid profile and blood pressure. The effects appear to be higher than the ones caused by other dietary fibres, such as oat fibre or psyllium, probably due to the combined effect of dietary fibre and antioxidants."
Assessing the results
Perez Jimenez and his fellow researchers recruited 21 subjects with normal cholesterol levels (normocholesterolemic) and 13 people with high cholesterol levels (hypercholesterolemic), and assigned them to receive a daily supplement of 7.5 grams of grape antioxidant dietary fibre, giving a daily dietary fibre dose of 5.25 grams and a daily polyphenol dose of 1400 mg.
A control/ comparison group of nine non-smokers not given the grape fibre supplement was also included in the trial.
At the end of 16 weeks of intervention, in addition to the overall cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol reductions (both nine per cent), the hypercholesterolemic subjects were found to experience greater benefits, with total and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol reduction of 14.2 and 11.6 per cent, respectively, in this subgroup. Additionally, this subgroup also exhibited an 18.6 per cent reduction in blood triacylglycerol levels.
Commenting on the potential mechanism, the researchers stated that the combination of dietary fibre and antioxidants in the grape ingredient may explain why the potential benefits exceed those previously reported for oat fibre or psyllium.
The researchers said: "Grape antioxidant dietary fibre contains relatively large amounts of proanthocyanidins (condensed tannins), which are partially bioavailable in the small intestine, but a major part reach the colon, where they may provide a high antioxidant status”.
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