We have been writing about the power of grapes and grape juice for decades. Many readers are enthusiastic about Concord juice mixed with plant pectin as a home remedy for stiff, achy joints. Others like to drink Concord grape juice to ease a cough. You may never have heard of muscadine grapes, but you should.
Purple Concord grapes are rich in plant compounds called polyphenols (Molecules, Jan. 1, 2017). As a result, they have great antioxidant activity and can help control blood pressure and blood sugar.
Have You Met the Mighty Muscadine?
No matter how great Concord grapes are, however, they can’t compete with muscadine grapes. These Southern natives are overloaded with antioxidant compounds. They are reported to have 40 times more antioxidant activity than table grapes, and more than other fruits or berries. The skin and seeds are especially good sources of these compounds and of flavonoids like quercetin.
Why should that matter? Well, a preparation containing muscadine grape polyphenols has been shown to reverse the oxidation and inflammation that would otherwise be triggered by a typical American high-fat high-carb meal (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, May 2011). (Imagine a cheeseburger and a milk shake.) While we can’t condone such meals on a regular basis, we love the idea of a supplement that can counteract the damage.
Helping Gut Microbes:
In addition, resveratrol has a strong impact on the microbiota of the digestive tract (Nutrients, Nov. 3, 2018). This interaction can reduce the likelihood of metabolic syndrome, a risk factor for heart disease. Very likely other muscadine grape compounds also affect the microbiota in a positive way. After all, these grapes contain numerous antioxidant chemicals that were first identified in muscadine grapes (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Apr. 28, 2010).
A Warning About an Interaction:
People planning on taking muscadine supplements, or even those who enjoy eating a lot of these grapes during their short season, should be aware of a potential interaction with the anticoagulant warfarin. In a case report from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a 73-year-old woman who enjoyed a large number of scuppernong grapes had an elevated INR (BMJ Case Reports, June 25, 2014). The INR is a measure of how well warfarin is working to prevent clotting and scuppernongs are a type of muscadine grape. The researchers propose that the high levels of the flavonoid quercetin in these grapes accounts for this interaction.
Save Money on Mighty Muscadine Products:
With more than 100 antioxidant compounds, muscadine grape juice, skin and seed extracts can help reverse cellular damage from free radicals. That is why we are excited that Mighty Muscadine is now underwriting The People’s Pharmacy radio show. These quality-assured supplements support cardiovascular, immune system and joint health. You can learn more online at MightyMuscadine.com. For a limited time, People’s Pharmacy readers can save 20% on all Mighty Muscadine Grape products. Just enter the code MIGHTY20 at checkout. And enjoy the power of Mighty Muscadines!
