Did you know that we have more bacteria in our bodies than our own cells? There are about 39 trillion bacteria in the average person, around 9 trillion more than the number of human cells! But, there’s no need to panic; most of these bacteria are actually beneficial to you. A lot of these bacteria are found in your gastrointestinal tract, or your digestive system, and they help you digest foods and absorb nutrients that your human cells can’t process.
Even though these bacteria are found in the gut, they have been shown to impact many aspects of your body, including your mental health and immunity to diseases. For instance, the death of the bacteria in your small intestine, also called your gut microbiome, has been associated with increased risks of type-I diabetes, asthma, anxiety, and depression. Changes in the gut microbiome could also increase the risk of heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States.
Disruptions in your gut microbiome could increase the risk for heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States.
Image Source: Yuchiro Chino
How can we strengthen the gut microbiome so that we can prevent these health complications? A recent study from the University of California, Los Angeles, suggests that consuming grapes could actually help strengthen your gut microbiome!
Fruits like grapes and apples have antioxidants called polyphenols, which are helpful in keeping blood vessels flexible, controlling blood sugar levels, and reducing long-term inflammation. In this study, scientists gave participants a low-polyphenol diet for four weeks. They then gave the participants 46 grams of grape powder, or around two servings of California table grapes, with their low-polyphenol diet.
The scientists found that after giving the participants the grape powder, there were more types of bacteria in the participants’ guts, which has been shown to strengthen the immune system and help protect against harmful bacteria and viruses. The scientists also saw lowered cholesterol levels in the participants after giving the grape powder. High levels of cholesterol are also an increased risk factor for heart disease since cholesterol can clog blood vessels and increase blood pressure; therefore, a lower cholesterol level means that the patients have a reduced risk of developing heart disease.
However, there are some limitations with this study. First, the scientists only chose healthy participants; the effects of consuming grapes on people with a high risk of developing heart disease should be tested, since the results may actually be different. In addition, the effect of consuming grapes should be conducted on a larger number of people, since this was a “pilot study” only conducted on 19 participants. Pilot studies are small-scale studies that are performed to explore an idea before performing a larger study that really tests an idea.
Nevertheless, the results of this study suggest that something as simple as replacing your chips with grapes could reduce your risk of developing heart disease!
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