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Does grape juice provide the same health benefits as red wine?
Posted: September 2, 2009
Q. Does unfermented grape juice from red grapes contain the same beneficial compounds, such as resveratrol, as red wine? —Bob W.
A: R. Curtis Ellison, doctor and professor of medicine and public health at Boston University Medical School, responds: "Grapes, especially Concord red grapes, have many of the polyphenols present in red wine. Some studies have shown that large amounts of red grape juice decrease the stickiness of platelets [in the blood], which would lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. The effects of grape juice, however, are much less than those of red wine, as fermentation increases the beneficial effects. Further, much of the protection against heart disease from moderate drinking come from the alcohol itself. So, grape juice is good for you, but wine is better."
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