Grape juice good for the heart

(Original Source : By Patricia Reaney, Wed Jan 31, 12:06 PM ET Yahoo!News)

Study shows grape juice is good for the hearth.

LONDON (Reuters) - Grape juice seems to have the same protective effect against heart disease as red wine, French scientists said on Wednesday. Researchers at the Universite Louis Pasteur de Strasbourg were examining the effect on the heart of Concord grape juice.

"Grape juice can have a similar effect (against heart disease) as red wine but without the alcohol. That is a very important message," said Dr Valerie Schini-Kerth, lead author of the study published in the journal Cardiovascular Research.

Red wine and certain types of grape juice have high levels of polyphenols, which block the production of a protein linked to cardiovascular disease -- the number one killer in many Western countries.

Heart and vascular problems develop when endothelial cells that make up blood vessels do not work properly.Schini-Kerth and her team found that polyphenols in Concord grape juice activate endothelial cells to produce nitric oxide which helps to protect against cardiovascular disease and to maintain healthy blood vessels and blood pressure.

Polyphenols work the same way in red wine and in grape juice.
"But not every grape juice has the beneficial effect. It has to have a high level of polyphenols," Schini-Kerth said.

The amount of polyphenols in grape juice, as in red wine, depends on the type of grape used and how it is processed.

"We have information on more than 100 different kinds of wine and the amount of polyphenols. What we know is that the most protective ones have the highest levels of polyphenols. That is established," she said.

But Schini-Kerth, whose research was partly funded by Welch Foods Inc which is a leading producer of grape juice, said little information is available on the levels of polyphenols in grape juice.

The scientists were studying cells from pigs, which provide a good model for studying human cells.They were looking at healthy blood vessels and are planning a further study to see whether grape juice has a similar impact on blood vessels that show signs of cardiovascular disease.

A Green Tea Overview

(Original Source : The Salada Green Tea Website.//www.greentea.com, Photo Source : Yahoo! Image)

Green tea is the palest in color, ranging from light green to light yellow in color. Green tea is not oxidized; the leaves are steamed or baked immediately after being plucked. They are then rolled and dried allowing the leaves to remain green in color. Green tea is made from both new buds as well as young leaves – “pluckers” take ‘two leaves and a bud’. Green tea, which is unfermented tea, remains the most popular tea in Asian countries such as China and Japan. In fact, up until the eighteenth century, it was also the most popular form of tea in Britain as well. Imports of green tea into the United States outpaced black tea until about 1915. Much of the tea dumped into the Boston harbor during the Boston Tea Party, was in
fact green tea. Thus it is unlikely that the harbor turned to a copper color! About ninety percent of the world's green tea is produced in China. While most of the world's black tea comes from countries such as Sri Lanka (Ceylon), India, Kenya, Indonesia and Argentina, these countries produce little, if any, green tea. Several hundred varieties of green tea are made in China alone. Some of the most popular include Gunpowder, Hyson, Imperial Green, and Gyokuro (Japan). A cup of green tea is generally much lighter than other teas. While Asian cultures have believed for centuries that green tea has properties beneficial to human health, modern science is just now discovering that this may be true. ManufactureDifferences between green, black, and oolong teas occur during the processing of the tea leaves. Plucking All types are normally hand plucked. Pluckers take only the bud and two leaves, as only young leaves produce good quality tea. Machine plucked tea is usually inferior. WitheringThe next step in manufacturing is withering. Tea leaves are laid out and allowed to wilt for several hours. Leaves are laid out in bamboo trays or in withering beds indoors. Withering reduces the moisture content in the leaves and prepares them for the next step. Withering can be omitted during the production of green tea, but is crucial in black tea manufacture. SteamingThis process differentiates green tea from other types. After withering, green tea leaves are immediately steamed, baked, or pan heated. This crucial step in green tea manufacture prevents the oxidation (fermentation) of the leaves so that they remain green.RollingGreen tea is very often hand rolled, but mechanical rollers are used as well. The rolling process gives the leaves their appearance. During green tea manufacture, leaves are usually steamed rolled and steamed alternatively. Tightly rolled leaves are an indication of good quality tea. FiringGreen tea leaves are given a final firing to dry the leaves and ensure no oxidation of the leaves occurs. The firing of leaves is done in ovens.

DIFFERENCES IN THE TEA PROCESSING METHODDifferences in the tea processing method create three basic tea types - green tea, black tea and oolong tea. The amount of oxidation, often referred to as fermentation, that the tea leaves undergo determines the basic tea type. It is the oxidation process that produces tea’s distinctive color and taste characteristics. All tea comes from the leaves of the Camellia Sinensis tree. Tea gardens pluck or prune the Camellia Sinensis year round and the plant more resembles a bush, but allowed to grow wild, it reaches heights of about thirty feet.