Latest Vitaceae Stories
Viruses can cost winegrowers an entire harvest. If they infest the grapevines, even pesticides are often no use. What's more, these chemicals are harmful to the environment. Researchers are growing plants that produce antibodies against the viruses and are thus immune.A good wine needs to ripen. But it's a long way to the barrel. Even before the harvest, the grapevines have to overcome all kinds of obstacles. Extremely hot or rainy periods can destroy entire crops, not to mention the wide...
New Research Highlights Raisin Health Benefits Beyond Basic Nutrition NEW ORLEANS, April 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Data presented yesterday at the Experimental Biology conference in New Orleans suggest raisin and dried fruit consumption are associated with a decreased likelihood of abdominal obesity. The analysis examined the association between dried fruit consumption and body weight and waist circumference in adults 19 years old and older, using data from the National Health and Nutrition...
A grape-enriched diet may help prevent the downhill sequence of heart failure brought on by years of high blood pressure, U.S. researchers suggest. E. Mitchell Seymour, whose study was part of his doctoral work in nutrition science at Michigan State University, said all the rats his team used were from a research breed that develops high blood pressure when fed a salty diet. The researchers studied the effect of regular table grapes -- a blend of green, red, and black grapes -- that were...
University of Florida scientists say they've developed a new muscadine grape cultivar called Delicious that ripens early and is disease-resistant. Professor Dennis Gray, who led the research, said the black fruit features exceptional taste and texture with an edible skin, making it well-suited for fresh fruit consumption and the potential for wine production. The name Delicious was selected based on the comments of vineyard visitors who sampled the fruit. Gray said the berries of Delicious...
Round, oblong, and in-between: the shapes of the fruits we eat are not always coincidental or, for that matter, thanks to nature. Before fruit arrives in local groceries, a lot of time and effort may have gone into creating the varieties found in the produce section.In the mid-1960s, Dr. James N. Moore of the University of Arkansas began a grape breeding program, working toward developing varieties with elongated shapes. Now, 40 years later, Dr. John R. Clark continues this effort. One of...
Research released on Wednesday shows that grape intake lowered blood pressure and signs of heart muscle damage, and improved heart function in lab rats.The report suggests that eating grapes may help fight high blood pressure related to a salty diet. Grapes could also calm other factors related to heart diseases such as heart failure."These findings support our theory that something within the grapes themselves has a direct impact on cardiovascular risk, beyond the simple blood...
New York researchers say polyphenolics derived from red grape seeds may be useful agents to prevent or treat Alzheimer's disease. The study explored the possibility of developing wine mimetic pills that would replace the the government's recommended glass of red wine a day for Alzheimer's disease prevention. Dr. Giulio Maria Pasinetti and Dr. Jun Wang both of Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Dr. Anil Shrikhande, director of the polyphenolics division of constellation brands, a major...
