Heartland Select Muscadine Juice Do you ever feel lost when it comes to the information you should know
when it concerns nutrition and your health? Well, we want to make it
simpler for you.
Free radicals are loose oxygen molecules that damage cells. This damage is often elevated in human conditions such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes,
rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases.
Researchers have found that antioxidant molecules found in many foods have the potential to reduce diseases thought to be triggered by free radicals at the cellular level. Having a high ORAC Score is such a hot trend right now, that companies are doing whatever they can to “pump up” the ORAC scores of their
products. However, it’s important to note that not all ORAC scores are the
same. Without getting too technical (we’ll leave that to the scientific
journals!), just knowing the ORAC score is not enough. Research shows
that it’s even more important to understand the range of chemicals that
contribute to that ORAC score. The ORAC score is only as meaningful as
the benefits provided by the antioxidant compounds that make up that
score.
As it turns out, muscadine grapes are an outstanding source of multiple
protective antioxidants. There is a growing interest among academic
scientists and researchers in the study of the nutraceutical benefits of
muscadine grapes because of their unique range of vitamins, beneficial oils,
fiber, nutritious sugars, proteins and potent phenolic compounds
(antioxidant phytochemicals).
Phenolic compounds (also referred to as phenolic phytochemicals) are
plant-based materials that appear to function primarily in defense against a
plant’s predators and pathogens (biological agents that cause disease) and in
providing reproductive advantage. These compounds have demonstrated
promising health benefits for humans.
Muscadines have high concentrations of antioxidant phenolic compounds,
including the highly-publicized compound, resveratrol.
The benefits of the phenolic compound resveratrol have been well
published. Previous studies with resveratrol suggest that the compound has
anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer potential and may help prevent the
negative effects of high-calorie diets.
One phenolic compound in muscadines that distinguishes them from other
grapes is ellagic acid. Ellagic acid is not only a powerful antioxidant, but it
is also a known anti-cancer compound. However, every phytochemical in the muscadine grape contributes to health and healing, and the natural mixture does much more than any one phytochemical alone.
The tale of a grape…
The fascinating history and secret power of the Muscadine grape is a story
everyone should know. Unlike any other grape in the world Muscadines grapes (vitis rotundifolia) grow in the harshest of conditions; conditions in which common table grapes (vitis vinifera) cannot grow. They grow in the outheastern United States and are well-adapted to warm, humid climates. So, what rotective strategies does this survivor grape contain that allows it to thrive where others can’t?
Muscadine fruits are 1 – 1.5 inches in diameter and are armed with thick, tough skin and several hard, oblong seeds. Their thicker skin allows it to protect itself against heat, UV radiation, humidity, insects and fungi.
Muscadines also contain 20 sets of chromosomes compared to 19 in other grape varieties. So scientists wonder, what is this grape doing with the extra genetic material? Perhaps this is the key to its remarkable potency against inflammation, tumor growth and diabetes.
The All-American Grape
Muscadines are a Native American grape and may be the only fruit that originated in the United States and nowhere else. Native Americans clearly used the wild muscadines as a food source and processed them for winter stores.
Could it be that a powerful defender of our health can be found in our own backyard?
The Muscadine Is A Natural “Phyter”
Our country’s current epidemic levels of chronic disease have reached alarming rates. Presently, 109 million Americans (more than a third of the population) suffer from a chronic disease, such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia.
Phytochemicals are naturally occurring substances found in fruits and vegetables that have some type of biological activity. Research shows that muscadine grape species are rich in total phenolic compounds (a class of phytochemicals) and are a virtual powerhouse when it comes to their nutraceutical value.
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