Grape therapy

Grape therapy, also known as ampelotherapy, is a form of naturopathic alternative medicine that involves heavy consumption of grapes, including seeds, and parts of the vine, including leaves. Although there is some limited evidence of positive benefits from the use of grape therapy for health purposes, extreme claims, such as its ability to cure cancer, have been widely derided as “quackery”.

Grapes have been associated with health for many centuries. They contain organic acids (tartaric, malic, citric, tannic), B group vitamins, vitamins P, PP, and C, calcium, carotene, magnesium salts, phosphorus and potassium, as well as trace elements such as copper, iron, manganese, sulphur and zinc. Proanthocyanidins, first extracted from grape seeds in 1970, and resveratrol, found in grape skins, are currently being studied for possible uses in the prevention and treatment of cancer and other illnesses, and for anti-ageing. Proanthocyanidins are powerful antioxidants that can block the action of free radicals. Advocates of grape therapy argue that these antioxidants inhibit the development of cancer, and can be used in treating a variety of other medical conditions such as arthritis and diabetes. Grapes are said to be beneficial for protecting against cardiovascular disease and, because of their potassium and glucose content, they are argued to be useful for treatment of heart disease by strengthening muscle tone, improving heart function and having a positive impact on convalescence. Alternative medicine practitioners have at times also recommended grapes and parts of the vine for high blood pressure, menopause, varicose veins, high cholesterol, skin rashes, and urination problems. The grape diet was promoted in the past as a treatment to flush toxins from the body. The grape cure is also prescribed for a decline in nutrition, especially with patients with early stage of tuberculosis, for diseases of the liver, kidneys and lungs and for gout and secondary anaemia and, in addition, for mental disease, nervous disorders, and sexual problems. Recent research by scientists at UCLA has found that combining resveratrol with benzoyl peroxide may improve that drug’s ability to kill the bacteria associated with acne. The presence of resveratrol on the skin of red grapes has prompted some doctors to recommend that adults drink reasonable quantities of red wine to combat heart disease. Resveratrol in red wine is suggested as an explanation for the disputed "French paradox," i.e. the apparent low occurrence of heart disease among the French, even though they eat a high-fat diet.

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