Amazing Facts About Red Grapes

Red grapes are famous for resveratrol, but they only produce it in response to a FUNGAL infection during their growth. So organic grapes have more resveratrol because they’re not sprayed with anti-fungals.

 

You may have heard of resveratrol, a miracle antioxidant found in grape skins and some other foods and linked to a lower risk of heart disease and to lessened effects of aging. Unlike other antioxidants such as anthocyanins, which give blueberries their color and are an integral part of the fruit, however, plants produce resveratrol only in response to fungal or bacterial attack. 

That’s right— resveratrol is a natural antibiotic and fungicide. This means that the more natural fungi and bacteria a plant is exposed to, the more resveratrol it will produce. If a grape plant is repeatedly sprayed with synthetic fungicides—and grapes are among the most pesticide-intensive crops cultivated—the resveratrol content in the fruit will be lower.

That alone may be incentive enough to buy only organic grapes and wines, because resveratrol may also help maintain healthy programmed cell death, thus staving off cancer. Studies have also shown that the chemical can make chemotherapy more effective, weaken viruses including influenza and HIV, counter the effects of a high-fat diet and increase physical endurance. Perhaps most miraculously, resveratrol supplements appear to extend the lifespan of yeast, worms and even fish.