"This is one of the first randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies to use a whole juice--in this case Concord grape juice," explains study author Kevin Maki, Ph.D., Director, Nutrition and Metabolism Research Unit, Radiant Research, Chicago. "In our study, blood pressure was measured as part of the basic health information of the study participants. When we reviewed the data, we saw reductions of nearly six points in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements among the hypertensive men drinking Concord grape juice. Those on the calorie-matched placebo showed virtually no change."

The study, presented at the annual meeting of FASEB, the Federation for American Societies of Experimental Biology, looked at 80 healthy males, ages 45 to 70. For 12 weeks, half drank an average of 12 ounces of Concord grape juice per day and half drank the same amount of a placebo beverage designed to look and taste like grape juice.

Median baseline systolic blood pressure was 132 mm Hg. At the conclusion of the study, the 19 participants with above-median systolic blood pressure who drank Concord grape juice showed a drop from an average baseline systolic blood pressure of 142.7 mm Hg to 137.0 (p< 0.05), and from 87.9 to 82.1 mm Hg (p<0.05) for diastolic blood pressure. The 17 participants with above-median blood pressure who consumed the placebo showed no change from baseline. The systolic and diastolic differences between treatments were significant (p<0.05).

"While additional studies are necessary to confirm these results, it is exciting that drinking Concord grape juice every day may be an easy way for hypertensive individuals to significantly low
'"/>

Contact: Julie McQuain
JMPRmedia@aol.com
212-477-0472
JMPR Associates, Inc.
14-Apr-2003