When making red wine, leftover grape pomace can be a nutritional powerhouse. Typically, the mashed, leftover pulp of red grapes is considered a waste product during early winemaking. However, a new study shows that grape residues have the potential to...Risk of diseases such as cardiovascular diseaseand reduce diabetes.
Grape pomace from winemaking as a preventive agent
In this new research, the authors showed that winemaking waste could be a nutritious treasure. The results suggest that two stilbenes found in plants can influence the gut microbiome in a healthy way. Although this requires further research, the study results could play a role in reducing the risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. In addition, this byproduct of fermentation from winemaking has enormous potential, according to the study authors. Accordingly, extracting key compounds could enable their use as dietary components. This would allow grape pomace to be incorporated into foods. Thus, pressed red grapes can transform into a very sustainable source of nutritional compounds with proven health benefits. This research also provides an understanding of how stilbenes work at the level of the human intestine.
The research team studied red grape varieties and used Vitis vinifera (wine grapes), Vitis labruscana (Concord grapes) and an interspecific hybrid. This allowed scientists to link the results to practical nutritional benefits of consuming grapes and grape products. Previous research also shows that polyphenols and bioactive compounds, such as resveratrol in red wine, have cardiovascular and other health benefits. In the experiment, the authors injected grape pomace extract into the amniotic fluid of chicken eggs on the 17th day of embryonic development. In this way, the research group learned how resveratrol positively influences the gastrointestinal tract as well as other physiological systems and tissues. In addition, the results confirmedthis studythe positive nutritional and physiological effects of grape pomace on the intestinal microbiome and the small intestine.
