Phytonutrients and Your Food
We all know that fresh fruits and vegetables are good for our health. Not only do they taste great, but they are filled with important vitamins and minerals. Now, scientists have discovered compounds in fruits and vegetables called phytonutrients that may prevent cancer and heart disease.

What are phytonutrients?
Phytonutrients (phyto comes from the Greek word for plant) are biologically active substances that are responsible for giving plants their fragrance, color, and flavor. Phytonutrients also contribute to the plant’s self-defense system by protecting it from pests, viruses, bacteria, and excessive sunlight. Evidence indicates that these same phytonutrients may also protect the human body from certain cancers and heart disease. There are hundreds, probably thousands, of phytochemicals found in fruits, vegetables, grains, and some herbs.

Phytonutrients Found in Grapes
Grapes are loaded with phytonutrients such as resveratrol, quercetin, anthocyanin and catechin. Resveratrol, found primarily in the skin of grapes, has been found in preliminary studies to fight breast, liver and colon cancers. Resveratrol is also believed to play a role in the reduction of heart disease and has been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory properties. To learn more about Food and Phytonutrients, click here to order a free brochure.

Folklore of Grapes and Health
There are numerous stories of grapes and health that date to ancient times. Many people believed in the healing power of grapes long before science had any proof of these claims. In ancient China, wine was mixed with snakes, frogs, and other creatures to cure specific ailments. And even stranger, there are stories of near-death interventions by the use of grape juice.

The health benefits of products from the vine were once known the world over. "Only where there is no wine are drugs required," reads an excerpt from the Talmud. "Drink a glass of wine after your soup and you steal a ruble from your doctor," is an old Russian proverb. Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, the corn flake king, was a great believer in grapes as a cure. In 1870, at his famous clinic in Battlecreek, Michigan, he would prescribe 10 to 14 pounds of grapes per day - and nothing else - to cure patients of high blood pressure. For the weak of heart, it was grapes, grapes and grapes; for skinny patients, it was 26 feedings per day and their stomach weighted with sandbags to increase the absorption of nutrients.

In 1928, Dr. Johanna Brandt, a South African naturopath, published a book called "The Grape Cure." Brandt claimed to have had a divine illumination that made her realize that grapes could cure almost every disease, including cancer.