In the University of Montpellier in France, researchers discovered that grapes, apples and their juices can help prevent atherosclerosis. And juices are even more efficacious than fruits in fighting the disease. The Reuters news agency reported that these research results first-ever showed fruit nutrients would be seriously affected by food processing.
Researchers separately fed several groups of hamsters on several different things: grapes, grape juices, apples, apple juices or water. At the same time, they also fed them on high-fat, high-cholesterol food which might cause atherosclerosis. Another group were fed only on normal food and the results would be compared with others.
Researchers also measured the phenol content of fruits and juices. The phenol content of apples was approximately the same as that of grapes, but the phenol content of purple grape juices was 250% higher than that of apple juices.
These discoveries showed that the phenol content of food was directly related to the antioxidation effect of that food. Other antioxidant substances in fruits such as vitamin C and carotene also had the same effect.