Drinking Concord Grape Juice Reduces Blood Pressure

December, 2004: A recent clinical study has shown that drinking about two servings of Concord grape juice a day lowers blood pressure. In a recent clinical trial by Drs Park, Kim, and Kang at Kyunghee University in South Korea, forty men with high blood pressure (BP) drank either Concord grape juice or a placebo every day for 8 weeks. The amount of Concord juice consumed was based on the person's weight, so an average man would have about two servings per day. A woman would have less. At the end of the 8 weeks, both the systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly lower than the persons consuming the placebo. The study concludes, "Consuming Concord grape juice, which is high in polyphenolic compounds, may favorably affect BP in hypertensive individuals."

High blood pressure is a key risk factor risk for heart attacks, strokes, and heart or kidney failure. Nearly a third of all Americans have high blood pressure, and many don't even know it. The blood pressure reduction seen in this study was associated with a 40% reduction in risk of heart attack, and 200% reduction in stroke risk, according to the American Heart Association's risk calculator. Bottom line: have your blood pressure checked, exercise, and include Concord Grape Juice as part of your healthy diet.