| Consuming grapes is shown to improve metabolic syndrome components in some studies. Photo Credit: Static.pexels.com |
Grapes and red wine are popularly studied for their potential health benefits, largely from their antioxidant/polyphenol content which may exert protective benefits on the body's cells and functioning. The Mediterranean diet famously includes red wine as part of its food pyramid to be consumed (in moderation) as part of a diet to support health.
Metabolic syndrome is a condition that exists when a combination of 3 or more health measures are out of range from a possible 5: high fasting blood sugar, high blood pressure, high serum triglycerides, low HDL-C cholesterol ("good cholesterol"), and increased abdominal circumference. Metabolic syndrome places individuals meeting diagnostic criteria at a higher risk for adverse conditions such as atherosclerosis (where plaque builds up in arteries, making them harder and more narrow), a precedent to coronary heart disease and heart attack.
A systematic review by Woerdeman and colleagues from the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition gathered the recent evidence on the effects of consumption of grape polyphenols on metabolic syndrome parameters. Thirty-nine trials of individuals either with or without metabolic syndrome were reviewed; some studies included participants with cardiovascular diseaese.
Outcome measures reviewed from studies were values of fasting glucose levels, HgA1c, blood pressure, serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL-C, and HDL-C when individuals received either red wine, dealcoholized red wine, grape juice, grape seed extract, or freeze-dried grape powder in treatment dosages for a period ranging from 2 to 4 weeks. In individuals without metabolic syndrome, overall no changes in such measures were noticed; individuals with elements of metabolic syndrome saw greater and more frequent changes in the above measures, but overall the change was not viewed as significant.
Ultimately, these results show that the present evidence is largely equivocal (either supporting or negating the effect of treatments of grape polyphenols on metabolic syndrome parameters); there is not enough evidence favoring the utilization of grape-derived food products for the treatment and prevention of metabolic syndrome at this time as the majority of studies saw minimal to no effects.
Could it be that the studied treatment dosages were too small to have an effect on the studied populations? Treatment dosages varied from the amount typically found in 1-2 glasses of red wine (100-200 mg) to larger dosages supplied based upon weight in kg (~1,400 mg for a 150 lb person). Or would another edible source of grape polyphenols other than those studied have larger effect? Or was it that an effect couldn't be shown within an uncontrolled diet and/or lifestyle in participants? It was suggested in the review that polyphenols are not easily absorbed and utilized by the human body; perhaps participants diets in studies showing no effect contained components that decreased the bioavailability of the antioxidants (e.g. tannins in coffee or tea). These queries and more will hopefully be answered with further research in the area of grape-derived substances and their effect on measures of metabolic syndrome.
Read more from the original article HERE. Or about metabolic syndrome from the NIH here.
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