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Research Article

Are All Wines Made From Various Grape Varieties Beneficial in the Prevention of Myocardial Infarction and stroke?

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Article: FSO649 | Received 08 Jun 2020, Accepted 08 Oct 2020, Published online: 09 Nov 2020
 

Abstract

Aim: Epidemiologic studies support the assumption (French paradox hypothesis) that drinking red wine is beneficial in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Our recent works however cast doubt on such claim. Earlier we have shown that the antithrombotic activity of various fruits and vegetables mainly depends on their varieties. For this reason, several varieties of red and white grapes were tested for antithrombotic effect in animal experiments. Results: Antithrombotic effect of 45 red and white grape varieties were assessed in the present study. Out of the 45, one red grape variety showed antithrombotic effect, while the majority of red and white grape varieties enhanced thrombosis. Conclusion: Most red and white grape varieties enhanced thrombotic activity of blood.

Lay abstract

Red wine is widely believed to prevent heart attack and stroke as claimed by a French Paradox hypothesis. Antithrombotic effect of 45 grape varieties was measured in the present study. Only very few red and white varieties inhibited the experimentally induced thrombosis while the majority of the tested varieties enhanced thrombotic activity of blood. Thus, our findings challenge the prevailing claims of the French Paradox.

Author contributions

J Yamamoto designed the study. M Iwasaki performed the experiments as a part of his Master's thesis in Kobe Gakuin University published in 2006. The thesis is written in Japanese and kept in the Kobe Gakuin University Library. None can access it via internet. M Murakami, Y Ijiri and M Shimizu reviewed and revised the manuscript.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Rob Furlong, Shropshire, UK, and Shinji Yamamoto, Nihon Fukushi University, Aichi, Japan, for revising English and preparing Tables, respectively.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

Animals were maintained in compliance with the “Guiding Principles for the Care and Use of Animals in the field of Physiological Sciences”, published by Physiological Society of Japan. The protocol was approved by the Animal Experiment Committee of Kobe Gakuin University.