North Carolina Muscadine Grape Association

The Muscadine is the Healthiest Grape Ever Tested.
It is 40 times better for you than any other grape!

The finding that muscadine grapes are naturally high in healthful antioxidants has lead to an expansion of the industry in North Carolina. Antioxidants help protect the body from the damaging effects of oxygen free radicals, which can contribute to degenerative diseases.

Source: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, North Carolina State University.

*According to NC State University researchers, Muscadines contain a unique blend of several natural antioxidants that can reduce the risk factors associated with degenerative diseases.

Resveratrol Concentrations Chart
*Mississippi State University, Dr. Betty Ector.

Resveratrol is an anti-cancer agent as well as a possible treatment for many other health conditions.

GRAPE TYPE	LEVELS
Pinot	1.1 ug/g
Chardonnay	1.1 ug/g
Gamay	1.0 ug/g
MUSCADINE (white)	43.65 ug/g
MUSCADINE (red)	44.57 ug/g

ORAC VALUES
MUSCADINE SEED 559*	Tomato 37
Orange 52	Plum 79
Apple 13	Pear 9
Grapefruit 48	Kiwi 37
*Brunswick Laboratories, Nov 27, 2002

ANTIOXIDANTS

In order to understand the magnitude of the discovery of potent and powerful antioxidants in the Muscadine Grape, one must understand a little about free radicals.

The ever increasing pollutants, radiation, and the body’s natural metabolism produces free radicals which are unbalanced oxygen atoms due to a missing or un repaired electron. These predators try to replace the lost electrons by raiding other molecules. This theft damages all DNA and tissue contacted until stopped by antioxidants or certain enzymes produced by the body. Antioxidants readily give up electrons without becoming harmful. As we age, our body’s production of antioxidants enzymes decreases and we see symptoms of the battle against free radicals in wrinkles, age spots, and stooped posture.

Chronological age and physiological age are two different things. The human body is genetically designed to live to 120 years (physiological age). However, the average chronological age for women is 76, and 74 for men. There are several groups of people who have members that live to be over 100 years old, an extremely higher rate than the rest of the population. Scientists believe that the primary reason these groups have so many more centenarians is due to dietary differences.

The U.S. National Institute of Health has determined that one of the primary causes of deteriorating health as we age is the relentless attack from free-radicals. It has then estimated that each cell in our body is attacked by free-radicals 10,000 times a day. Your body makes special enzymes to seek out and neutralize free-radicals. Unfortunately, the older you get the fewer of these enzymes your body produces. Another way to battle free-radicals is to eat plants high in antioxidants.

Antioxidants are used by the body to neutralize free-radicals and thus reduce the amount of damage our body suffers as we age. Brunswick Biomedical Laboratories of Wareham, Massachusetts stated in 2003 that NutraGrape's Muscadine Grape Seed has the highest ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbing Capacity) of any natural substance they have yet to test.

PROTECTING MENTAL FUNCTION

Free-radical damage to brain cells plays a large role in deteriorating mental functions as we age. They also play a role in conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. The Copenhagen study found that those individuals who drink red wine on a daily basis had a lower death rate from diseases as well as improved mental function compared to non-wine drinkers.

This study, the largest of its kind, spurred researchers to determine the cause of this “French Phenomenon”. What they discovered is that it is not the alcohol but a group of phenolic compounds that come from the grape that is responsible for the increased longevity. Resveratrol was determined to be one of the primary phenolic compounds in wine. Resveratrol is different from almost all antioxidants because it can cross the blood brain barrier to help protect brain cells. The search was on to find nature’s best source of resveratrol and a rare grape native to the U.S., known as the Muscadine, was the winner.

The U.S. National Institute of Health has determined that one of the primary causes of deteriorating health as we age is the relentless attack from free-radicals. It has then estimated that each cell in our body is attacked by free-radicals 10,000 times a day. Your body makes special enzymes to seek out and neutralize free-radicals. Unfortunately, the older you get the fewer of these enzymes your body produces. Another way to battle free-radicals is to eat plants high in antioxidants. Antioxidants are used by the body to neutralize free-radicals and thus reduce the amount of damage our body suffers as we age. Brunswick Biomedical Laboratories of Wareham, Massachusetts stated in 2003 that NutraGrape’s Muscadine Grape Seed has the highest ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbing Capacity) of any natural substance they have yet to test.