Grape flesh just as good for your heart

The flesh of grapes is as good for your heart as the skin, according researchers in the US and Italy.

A study by the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, the University of Milan, and other Italian research institutes, shows that grape pulp appears just as heart-healthy in laboratory experiments as the skin.

The analysis, published in the American Chemical Society Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, challenges the idea that red wine is better for your heart than white wine.

Past research indicated that the cardioprotective compounds in grapes -- polyphenolic antioxidants - are found in the skin and seeds.

Dipak K. Das of the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, who headed up the study, said: “Although further study is needed to identify the principle ingredients responsible for the cardioprotective abilities of the grape flesh, to the best of our knowledge, our study provides evidence for the first time that the flesh of grapes is equally cardioprotective with respect to the skins.”