Grapes Reduce Health Risk, New Study Finds

A worker harvests grapes at a vineyard in the Georgian village of Arkhiloskalo some 150 kilometers outside of Tbilisi, on September 20, 2020. Photo: AFP.
A worker harvests grapes at a vineyard in the Georgian village of Arkhiloskalo some 150 kilometers outside of Tbilisi, on September 20, 2020. Photo: AFP.
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Grapes Reduce Health Risk, New Study Finds

A worker harvests grapes at a vineyard in the Georgian village of Arkhiloskalo some 150 kilometers outside of Tbilisi, on September 20, 2020. Photo: AFP.
A worker harvests grapes at a vineyard in the Georgian village of Arkhiloskalo some 150 kilometers outside of Tbilisi, on September 20, 2020. Photo: AFP.

Looking for a snack? Well, have some grapes. As our terrible pun suggests, grapes might be the fruit to go for. That’s not just because they’re tasty, to be clear. According to a report by The Metro newspaper, a new study has found that snacking on grapes could lower your risk of heart attack or stroke.

This is because – as with most fruit and veggies – grapes are loaded with nutrients that can improve health. Specifically, the research suggests that grapes are a ‘superfood’ thanks to chemicals that boost gut bacteria and lower cholesterol. The research team tracked 19 people between the ages of 21 to 55, asking them to consume around 40 grapes a day.

These participants were on a diet that was otherwise low in fiber and plant chemicals (polyphenols), so the scientists could focus in on the benefits of grapes alone. Within a month, the diversity of the group’s gut microbiome was higher, which is a fancier way of saying that inside their tummy were loads more healthy bacteria. Even better, they had almost 8 percent less ‘bad’ cholesterol, and levels of beneficial bacteria Akkermansia – which burns up sugar and cholesterol – increased.

Lead author Professor Zhaoping Li, of the University of California, Los Angeles, said: “We found grapes have a beneficial effect on gut bacteria, which is great news, since a healthy gut is critical to good health. This study deepens our knowledge and expands the range of health benefits for grapes. It reinforces the heart health benefits of grapes, which include lowering cholesterol.”

Now, it’s worth noting that this study is teeny-tiny, and the researchers didn’t repeat their findings with other fruit and veggies to definitively declare which one is the absolute best. So please don’t go on an all-grape diet and think you’re doing yourself a load of good – you’re not. Variety is key. But if you do fancy adding some grapes to your afternoon snack of biscuits, that could be a great shout.



Lion Attacks Woman in Australian Zoo, Severely Injuring her Arm

FILE PHOTO: A view of the city skyline of Brisbane, Australia, July 4, 2021. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A view of the city skyline of Brisbane, Australia, July 4, 2021. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy/File Photo
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Lion Attacks Woman in Australian Zoo, Severely Injuring her Arm

FILE PHOTO: A view of the city skyline of Brisbane, Australia, July 4, 2021. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A view of the city skyline of Brisbane, Australia, July 4, 2021. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy/File Photo

A woman has sustained severe injuries to an arm when she was attacked by a lion at an Australian zoo.

The Darling Downs Zoo in Queensland state said the 50-year-old woman was watching animal keepers working in the zoo’s carnivore precinct before opening hours Sunday morning when she was attacked.

She was flown by helicopter from the rural town of Pilton to the state capital Brisbane where she underwent surgery. Her condition was stable, the zoo said in a statement Sunday. Several news media reported the woman lost the injured arm.

The zoo said staff were working with government workplace safety investigators to determine how the incident happened. The state government confirmed an investigation was underway.

“Inexplicably, at this stage, one animal grabbed her by one arm and caused severe damage to it,” the zoo statement said.

“At no stage did this animal leave its enclosure and there was no risk at all to staff members or members of the public.”

The woman was not a staff member but a “much loved member” of the zoo’s “family,” the statement added, according to The Associated Press.

She had watched keepers at work many times over the past 20 years and was “well versed in safety protocols around potentially dangerous animals,” the zoo said.

Staff at the 48-hectare (119-acre) zoo declined media interviews on Monday.

The zoo planned to reopen Tuesday for the first time since the attack.

“The animal will definitely not be put down or punished in any way,” the statement said.

Five years ago, two lions mauled and critically injured a keeper inside their enclosure at the Shoalhaven Zoo in the state of New South Wales.