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| |  ACC MEETING: Purple Grape Juice Better Anticoagulant Than Aspirin? ATLANTA, GA -- March 30, 1998 -- New, preliminary research into the antiplatelet activity of purple grape juice has shown for the first time that it may be stronger than aspirin in reducing the tendency of the blood to form clots in healthy humans. The new study results were presented at the American College of Cardiology's 47th Scientific Session today in Atlanta. "Our study found that when our 10 subjects drank approximately two cups of purple grape juice a day for a week, platelet aggregation -- meaning the stickiness of the platelets in their blood -- was reduced significantly," said John Folts, Ph.D., director of the Coronary Thrombosis Research Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin Medical School and one of the authors of the study. "The purple grape juice platelet inhibitory effect was stronger than a published standard for aspirin." The study itself looked at 10 healthy humans (five male, five female), each of whom drank from five to 7.5 ml/kg of body weight of purple grape, orange or grapefruit juice for seven to 10 days in a blinded, three arm crossover design. Each subject drank one type of juice for seven to 10 days, followed by a one week washout period, then another juice, followed by a washout, then the third, then a washout. Whole blood platelet aggregation was measured in response to collagen at baseline and at the end of each juice drinking period. Grapefruit and orange juice had no significant antiplatelet effect. Drinking purple grape juice for approximately a week inhibited the platelet aggregation response to 1(mu)g/ml of collagen by 84 percent (plus or minus 20 percent), thus achieving a level of platelet aggregation reduction greater than some levels previously reported for aspirin. Eight of the 10 subjects responded to purple grape juice. The two non responders were pre-menopausal, Caucasian women. The measurement of platelet aggregation -- or so-called stickiness -- quantifies, among other things, the blood's tendency to form clots and adhere to imperfections in the walls of blood vessels. Clots may form temporary blockages that reduce or stop the flow of blood through blood vessels. High levels of platelet aggregation have been shown to be a contributing factor for heart attack and stroke. Low dose aspirin consumption is recommended by some cardiologists to reduce platelet aggregation in their patients. Alternatives to aspirin are of keen research interest because of the limitations of an aspirin regimen. Dr. Folts said that some patients have problems with the gastroenterological side effects of aspirin. He also added that aspirin's effectiveness as a platelet inhibitor is reduced when the body produces increased amounts of adrenaline, something it regularly does during moments of stress or when exercising vigorously. Some studies have suggested that consumption of red wine may reduce platelet activity -- an effect believed to contribute to the so-called French Paradox. Concerns about the adverse effects of alcohol consumption, including the possible link between moderate alcohol consumption and breast cancer, have tempered interest in these findings. Purple grape juice, on the other hand, is easily digested, appears not to be affected by adrenaline, is non-alcoholic and counts as a serving of fruit within the often-referenced Five-A-Day dietary guidelines for consumption of fruits and vegetables. "We are investigating whether purple grape juice may offer an attractive alternative to aspirin," Dr. Folts said. However, Folts stressed that the data he and his co-authors presented is from a relatively small study and it is premature to make public health recommendations.
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