Straight Dope on Medicine: Grapes

Author

Scott Ganser
March 11, 2024

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck was published in 1939 during the Great Depression and Oklahoma Dustbowl. The novel tells the story of the Joad family who travels to California from Oklahoma because landlords evicted tenant farmers due to the drought and dust storms.

It is a must read, and a western classic.

What is the main point of ''The Grapes of Wrath?''

The novel's profound message of the need for all of humanity to work together for the common good is shown through family and friendships. Steinbeck also gives us a glimpse of the struggles and changes that families face, illustrating the struggle of enduring the inhumanity of humanity.

Why was ''The Grapes of Wrath'' banned?

The Grapes of Wrath was banned in various cities due to its language and religious references. It was specifically banned in Kern County, California as the farmers there felt the novel did not accurately portray events.[i]

Now that the stage has been set, we can delve into grapes. They have more to offer than just wrath.

Highlights

•Grapes are a rich source of bioactive molecules which contribute to health benefits.

•Bioactive phytochemicals of grapes include phenolic compounds such as hydroxycinnamic acids, anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins and stilbenes.

•Grape consumption is linked to reduced incidence of cardiovascular disease and its major risk factors including hypertension.

•Grapes and its products can be considered as potential functional food in reducing hypertension.[ii]

  • Heart Health: When it comes to cardiovascular health, grapes are overachievers. "Studies indicate that grapes promote healthy blood vessels through vasorelaxation, which in turn is linked to healthy blood flow and pressure," Romano shares. "Grapes have also been shown to promote healthy blood lipid profiles, counter oxidative stress and inflammation, and platelet aggregation." Grapes naturally have no saturated fat or cholesterol and are very low sodium, making them a great heart-healthy snacking choice.

  • Brain Health: Not only do grapes boast some impressive cardiac health benefits, but they may benefit your brain too. Research conducted with elderly individuals with mild cognitive decline found that consuming grapes every day helped preserve healthy metabolic activity in regions of the brain associated with early-stage Alzheimers’ where metabolic decline takes hold. Romano explains that grapes of all colors are a natural source of flavonols, and a recent study found that a higher intake of flavonols is associated with a 48% decreased risk of developing Alzheimer dementia; even more of a reason to add grapes to your snacking rotation.

  • Colon Health: In a pilot study of individuals with colon cancer, consuming grapes every day for two weeks reduced the expression of certain target genes responsible for promoting tumor growth in the colon. Romano says that this benefit was observed in healthy colon tissue, where no impact was seen in the cancerous tissue, suggesting that grapes may be beneficial in maintaining colon health.[iii]

 Grapes from Eurasia

The earliest known cultivation of domesticated grapes occurred in what is now the country of Georgia in the Caucasus region of Eurasia about 6,000 BCE. By 4,000 BCE, viticulture, or the making of wine, extended through the Fertile Crescent to the Nile Delta and to Asia Minor. Grapes pictured in hieroglyphics in Egyptian tombs and wine jugs found in the burial sites have been traced back as far as 5,000 BCE. Red wine was among the things the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun had in his tomb.

Grapes from Greece

Egyptians also imported wine from Greece. Like other wines of antiquity, Greek wine was coarse and had to be mixed with water, but it was better than Egyptian wine. Greeks carried their wine westward as well. They and the Phoenicians extended grape growing across the Mediterranean Sea to what would become Italy, Spain and France.[iv]

Barbara Schmidt-Keller / Getty Images

Discovering New Uses for Grapes

In the timeline of history, table grapes, the ones we buy in clusters for snacks or to set out with cheese trays, are a fairly recent development. Prior to the 16th century, while some doctors in Europe used wine and wine vinegar as an anesthetic and disinfectant, grapes essentially had an exclusive purpose: making wine. The first use of table grapes has been traced to the French King Francois I (1494-1547). Ruling France from 1515 until his death, he had a fondness for the Chasselas grape as dessert, thus earning him the distinction of the originator of the table grape.

Today, there are three primary uses of grapes: table grapes, raisins, and wine. Not surprisingly, more grapes are used to make wined than for any other purpose. 

Genetically Modified Grapes

Grapevine diseases cause growers to invest millions of dollars and numerous hours on various techniques to reduce losses. Grapevines with improved disease resistance would be welcomed, especially if other traits were not altered. Reduction of pesticide sprays by even one or two per year would cut the cost of production and may benefit the environment. The grapevine breeding program at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva is using both traditional breeding methods as well as biotechnology to develop disease resistant vines.[v]

Gene transfer technology became routine in the mid 1980's for easily manipulated non-woody plants such as tobacco. However, it has only been in the last few years that genetically transformed grapevines have been produced. This technology is now progressing rapidly, with at least 14 labs working worldwide to genetically engineer grapevines. Currently, transformed grape varieties are being tested in France and in the United States. Researchers collaborating between Kearneysville, West Virginia; Fresno, California; and Geneva, New York, are testing 'Thompson Seedless' vines carrying a gene for resistance to Tomato Ringspot Virus. In France, there are two groups testing rootstocks, as well as 'Chardonnay', with newly inserted genes for resistance to Fanleaf Virus, and a third group is testing Richter 110 with a gene for resistance to Chrome Mosaic Virus.

Seedless Grapes

The development of seedless grapes may actually date back to Roman times, but in modern times the first seedless table grape we can track was developed by William Thompson during the period from 1875 to 1900.

Organic or not, all seedless grapes are “unnatural”. Although a rare mutant plant could be natural, the seedless form is not naturally occurring. The process of growing seedless grapes uses a form of asexual reproduction. The new plant is essentially a genetic clone of the original parent plant which requires manual manipulation with the plants genetic material.[vi]

Grape Art

Baiting Hallow Vineyard

Lady Grape

Grape Vine Clay Art

Acrylic Painting

AI generated: Having a Grape Time

Wine Grapes

Most of the world’s fine wine, like Pinot Noir, Riesling and Chardonnay, derives from European grape varieties, all of which come from the species Vitis vinifera.

Starting in the 1870s, Thomas Volney Munson, a Texas viticulturist, identified 31 undiscovered grape species, all but three indigenous to the U.S. Two of the best known are Vitis riparia, which played a role in the creation of “French-hybrids” like Frontenac and Baco Noir, and Vitis labrusca, known for grapes like Concord and Niagara.

At the time, a root louse called phylloxera had hitched a ride from America to Europe and was spreading like a plague across Old World vineyards. Those European vines, based on Vitis vinifera, lacked natural resistance to the blight, and were almost completely decimated.

Munson’s solution, credited ultimately with saving French wine, was to graft Vitis vinifera vines onto American rootstock, as species like Vitis riparia and Vitis rupestris could deflect the pest.[vii]

Is there a difference between Wild and Domestic Grapes?

When we think of grapes we tend to picture rows of neatly arranged vines within a vineyard, ready to be harvested. Their wild counterparts however, meander along riverbanks and climb trees at the edge of woodland clearings. Their long, leafy vines producing bunches of deep purple berries, or grapes, in late summer.

The majority of cultivated grapes around the world (used as wine and eating grapes), are mainly European varieties. They can be linked back to a wild grape species know as Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris. This species emerged within the mediterranean, and southwest Asia, and is responsible for almost all popular wines. Like Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir.

The main difference, is that wild grapes generally have either male or female flowers, never both. Whereas the domesticated Vitis vinifera has both male and female flowers, meaning wind or animal pollination is not necessary, and the plant is self-fruitful. This ensures a greater yield when it’s time for farmers to harvest the grapes, as every flower should self fertilize.