Vitamins and Foods For Heart Health; Grapes or Apple Cider?

People have lots of interesting questions about vitamins and foods for heart health. We have received questions about grapes and heart health, apple cider vinegar and heart health and many others. We thought that we could probably cover grapes and apple cider vinegar in this article and we will have more coming soon.
It is not surprising that people are interested in what are the best vitamins and foods for heart health. The heart is one of the most important organs in our body. We cannot live without it and when disease strikes the heart, the results are serious. Much research has been down about the importance of vitamins and foods for heart health. There are many, many healthy foods, many not so healthy foods and some foods that you should avoid entirely. Here, though, because of specific questions that people have about grapes and heart health, as well as, apple cider vinegar and heart health, we are focusing on these two foods. Apple cider vinegar might be thought of as more of a condiment than a food, but the source is the apple, a very healthy food, for the heart and the rest of the body as well.
Let’s start with grapes. Grapes come in a variety of colors, can be eaten raw and are used to make wines, juices, jams and jellies. Research concerning grapes and heart health began when the French Paradox was discovered. Researchers found that the typical diet in France was high in animal fat, but the incidence of heart disease was lower than that of other Western countries. Red wine consumption is believed to be the answer to the paradox.
However, it is not safe to assume that drinking red wine will counteract the affects of the typical American diet, which contains way too much fat in general and way too much animal fat, specifically. Diet and fitness experts agree on very little, but most agree that no more than 30% of the calories consumed per day should come from fat, regardless of the “type” of fat. In the healthiest diet for the heart, and in general, fat should come from fish, nuts, olives and other plant sources.
But, back to grapes and heart health. A compound known as resveratrol is believed to help lower cholesterol levels, slowing the build up of fatty deposits in the arteries. Grapes contain resveratrol. Red wine contains resveratrol, but white does not, because the skins are not used during the fermenting process. For the same reason, grape juice is not a source of resveratrol. The compound is found in the skins of the grapes, so eating them raw works, but processing for foods (such as jelly) that does not include the skin does not provide the same benefit. Some of the better daily health supplements now contain resveratrol.
As opposed to many recommended vitamins and foods for heart health, the subject of apple cider vinegar and heart health is controversial. Over the years, apple cider vinegar has been used as a remedy for everything from sunburn to pneumonia. The validity of these uses is questionable. The two uses supported by scientific research are weight and blood sugar control. Either of these could establish a possible relationship between apple cider vinegar and heart health, since uncontrolled type II or adult onset diabetes and obesity are both risk factors for heart disease.
The relevant studies indicate that two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with a meal can reduce appetite, cause a feeling of fullness and reduce the glycemic index of the food being eaten. Starchy carbs, like potatoes, pasta and rice have a high glycemic index and can cause a spike in blood sugar levels. None of these studies focused on apple cider vinegar and heart health. There is no evidence that apple cider vinegar reduces or prevents cardiovascular disease. It is likely that apples are better for you, because of the vitamin and fiber content.

by PATSY HAMILTON