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.



Spain Says April Blackout Was Caused by Grid Failures and Poor Planning, Not a Cyberattack 

This photograph shows a general view of Barcelona at night, partially without electricity, with the Sagrada Familia seen on the right, following a massive power cut affecting the entire Iberian peninsula and the south of France, on April 28, 2025. (AFP) 
This photograph shows a general view of Barcelona at night, partially without electricity, with the Sagrada Familia seen on the right, following a massive power cut affecting the entire Iberian peninsula and the south of France, on April 28, 2025. (AFP) 
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Spain Says April Blackout Was Caused by Grid Failures and Poor Planning, Not a Cyberattack 

This photograph shows a general view of Barcelona at night, partially without electricity, with the Sagrada Familia seen on the right, following a massive power cut affecting the entire Iberian peninsula and the south of France, on April 28, 2025. (AFP) 
This photograph shows a general view of Barcelona at night, partially without electricity, with the Sagrada Familia seen on the right, following a massive power cut affecting the entire Iberian peninsula and the south of France, on April 28, 2025. (AFP) 

Spain's government said Tuesday that the massive April power outage across Spain and Portugal that left tens of millions of people disconnected in seconds was caused by technical and planning errors that left the grid unable to handle a surge in voltage.

Ecological Transition Minister Sara Aagesen, who manages the nation's energy policy, told reporters that a voltage surge led to small grid failures, mainly in the south of Spain, which then cascaded to larger ones and brought the system down in the two Iberian Peninsula nations.

She ruled out that the failure was due to a cyberattack.

The outage began shortly after noon on April 28 in Spain and lasted through nightfall, disrupting businesses, transit systems, cellular networks, internet connectivity and other critical infrastructure. Spain lost 15 gigawatts of electricity, or about 60% of its supply. Portugal, whose grid is connected to Spain's, also went down. Only the countries' island territories were spared.

“All of this happened in 12 seconds, with most of the power loss happening in just five seconds,” Aagesen said.

Several technical causes contributed to the event, including “poor planning” by Spain's grid operator Red Eléctrica, which didn’t find a replacement for one power plant that was supposed to help balance power fluctuations, the minister said.

She also said that some power plants that utilities shut off preventively when the disruptions started could have stayed online to help manage the system.

Power was fully restored by the early hours of the following day.

The government's report included analysis from Spain's national security agencies, which concluded, according to the minister, there were no indications of cyber-sabotage by foreign actors.

The government had previously narrowed down the source of the outage to three power plants that tripped in southern Spain.

In the weeks following the blackout, citizens and experts were left wondering what triggered the event in a region not known for power cuts. The outage ignited a fierce debate about whether Spain's high levels of renewable power and not enough energy generated from nuclear or gas-fired power plants had something to do with the grid failing, which the government has repeatedly denied.

Spain is at the forefront of Europe's transition to renewable energy, having generated nearly 57% of its electricity in 2024 from renewable energy sources like wind, hydropower and solar. The country is also phasing out its nuclear plants.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez pushed back against such speculation and defended the country's rapid ramping up of renewables. He asked for patience and said that his government would not “deviate a single millimeter” from its energy transition plans, which include a goal of generating 81% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.