Matheus Cunha in action during an IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu tournament. Photo: Personal Archive

Currently competing and training in Texas, United States, Matheus Cunha, a Jiu-Jitsu black-belt, discovered a pleasant surprise in the sport. Initially, when he started at 11 years old, his goal was to lose weight, but the identification with that environment made the kid realize that he wanted to go further. Today, at 24 years old, Matheus is improving his technique at 413 Jiu-Jitsu, a team led by athlete and professor Pedro Rocha, which is preparing to assemble the 2025 competition team. Matheus is one of the members of this select group.

After taking his first steps in Jiu-Jitsu as a child with master Roberto Godoi, in Barueri, São Paulo, Matheus’ journey in the sport took another direction after he became a blue-belt, when the first opportunity for sponsorship arose with a trip abroad.

“As a blue-belt, I had the opportunity to be sponsored by Frota Academy, in Switzerland, and I took my first international trip when I was 16. I did a camp in the country and then competed, as a Juvenile, in the IBJJF Euros. It was a great experience.”.

Since then, Matheus’ dedication has given him the chance to broaden his horizons through Jiu-Jitsu. Today, after spending some time in Texas, he feels more mature, but with the same desire to improve as the 16-year-old who visited Switzerland for the sport.

“My routine in the United States consists of training only. I train three to four times a day, varying between physical preparation and Jiu-Jitsu. I’m going to all the Opens here in the country and I intend to do super fights, in addition to participating in the Pans and in the Worlds, Gi and No Gi, IBJJF competitions, and in the AJP Tour Grand Slam, in Dallas.”.

In June of last year, Matheus was promoted to black-belt, beginning a more challenging chapter as a Jiu-Jitsu competitor. The 2025 season has already begun for him. At the end of January, he competed at the IBJJF Dallas Winter Open, Gi and No Gi, a high-performance competition. On that occasion, the black-belt placed well on the podium in both modalities and left the tournament with two silver medals. A warm-up for the promising months to come.

Nathalia and Livio Ribeiro. Photo: Personal Archive

The type of work done by Nathalia Chantre, 31, is a key part of the process of professionalization of BJJ as a sport. Playing a fundamental role in the performance of a number of elite athletes, this nutritionist is responsible for building a nutrition plan and enabling fighters to go into their matches healthy, living up to their full potential.

If in previous eras of the sport, it was possible to see athletes cutting weight in wrong ways and consuming fatty foods and sodas, nowadays this sort of behavior has to be kept to a minimum. The professionalization of BJJ has arrived in all spheres, from prize money to the care athletes have for their performance.

A nutritionist certified by the International Sports Sciences Association, Nathalia has monitored more than 300 athletes across more than five years in the field. In her opinion, a high-performance athlete who takes meticulous care of the details of their nutrition tends to come out on top.

“A time comes when the athlete’s key has to turn, so to speak, and they understand that in order to stay at a high level these days, it’s necessary to have more than good training; they need to be more than just talented,” said Nathalia, who’s also a BJJ student, in a recent interview. “It’s important to surround yourself with a multidisciplinary team that’s going to put you at your 100% to perform with excellence.”

She added: “One of the great differentials of my work with athletes consists of investing time with each of them. I treat athletes individually to understand their goals in a thorough way, their training, possible flaws, difficulties, and to not spare any efforts to develop a nutrition plan. I want the athlete to have adherence, for the plan to be compatible with their reality, making it easier to conquer the desired goal. That’s why I say that I don’t do consultations; I do nutritional monitoring with athletes and practitioners of BJJ. Our contact is very close; I make adjustments daily, if necessary, in the pre-competition phase.”

At this year’s IBJJF Pan, one of the biggest events of the calendar, Nathalia had multiple of her athletes come out victorious, not the least of which was Lívio Ribeiro, the roosterweight champion. The nutritionist went into some detail on her work with him.

“Lívio speaks openly of the crazy stuff he used to do to hit the weight before he had nutritional monitoring,” she said. “He, for example, used to cut water in the week that precedes a fight. Additionally, he would cut foods rich in carbs and use laxative drugs. It’s unbelievable how someone can train and fight in those conditions, completely dehydrated and without glycogen reserves. Certainly, he would sleep poorly, and his immunity was extremely low. When I became aware of this situation in March, the first thing was to get the house in order and adjust the basic: improve intestinal health, increase water intake and improve sleep quality.”

“He understood that he’s not supposed to starve to hit the weight, he doesn’t need to dehydrate, and he has no reason to cut foods with sources of carbs,” Nathalia continued. “So I included in his diet: rice, cuscuz, pasta, potatoes, various fruits, oatmeal, tapioca, beans and many other foods rich in micro- and macronutrients. I also used some supplements such as: beta alanine, probiotic, vitamin D3, magnesium, omega 3 and creatine. By the way, creatine does no harm when it comes to cutting weight. Quite the opposite: it’s an extremely safe supplement; it improves tolerance to straining, muscle recovery, on top of improving adaptive response to the training.”

In previous tournaments, Lívio had chosen not to eat before the first round, because his main opponent was the scale. This time, in 2021, everything has changed, and Lívio had the best performance to date in his early days as a black-belt.

“I followed Lívio’s training up-close, and his evolution was visible — especially in the final stage of the training, close to the competition, where usually he already felt extremely saturated, stressed and fatigued,” said the nutritionist. “I was very excited to see him in the competitions. It was going to be the first time he would eat on fight day! I was sure his performance was going to be special, and it was! He knew he was able to be explosive from the start until the end of the match; he knew he had energy reserves and was well trained, because he had the physical preparation provided by Itallo Vilardo and the training at Ares academy in Modesto, led by Prof. Samir Chantre.” She subjoined: “Those who think nutritional monitoring makes no difference certainly have never had the opportunity to be followed by a good nutritionist.”

Nathalia is a Health Coach with Integrative Nutrition (IIN) and is currently getting a postgraduate degree in nutrition, metabolism and physiology in sports.

There’s no better supplement a human can take than good old physical exertion.

That’s what you’ll get if you go with Ginástica Natural, a workout method that’s handy in helping you to build endurance, improve your posture and get more power behind your moves. And the best part: you don’t need any equipment, just the weight from your own body.

Want to get started today? Physical conditioning coaches Álvaro and Raphael Romano have a brand new challenge for you, to whip you into shape good and quick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSQjkJ4ATjs

Today’s exercise needs to be done in pairs. The first thing to do is decide who’s going to roll first and who’s going to leap. The second step is to determine how many repetitions there’ll be—two sets of ten reps is what they recommend.

When doing the leap, it’s important that you use your legs to thrust as well as to absorb the impact. At first sight, people often think the thrust is created by the upper body.

Ready for the challenge? Enjoy the workout and be healthy.

João Gabriel gets a round of applause after submitting Erberth Santos in a semifinal match of the 2017 Pan’s absolute division. Beatriz Lina/GRACIEMAG.

João Gabriel Rocha (Soul Fighters) won the ultra-heavyweight title March 19 in Irvine, Calif. at the Pan. The 25-year-old reared by Leandro “Tatu” Escobar and Rafael Formiga dealt submissions left and right, and choked out Gustavo Dias in the final. He also came in second in the open division, behind only Leandro Lo.

That’s quite the turn of events for Rocha, who had to ditch the gi in 2014 while he fought a bout with cancer. In this interview with Graciemag following the Pan, he talked about how his competitive mindset helped him through that rough patch.

GRACIEMAG: How did your 20 years of competition help you beat your cancer?

JOÃO GABRIEL ROCHA: It was complicated. When I had surgery to remove the tumor, I did not even know what I had. And then it was that scare when I found out. Being unable to train, without competing, and even reading Graciemag and seeing I wasn’t in it, especially the World Championship issue, were complicated moments. But nothing was worse than seeing my parents devastated, in really bad shape, ditching everything to be by my side. I saw them both suffer and then I’d pretend I wasn’t feeling the pain and discomfort, so they wouldn’t get worse. I think this is a common aspect of BJJ — being able to keep your poker face and not telegraph to your opponent that you are straining. Then the worst part by far were the two months of chemo; it was three liters of chemo injected into my veins daily, and I would feel my entire body burn inside. I took on each cycle, each session, like a fight for a gold medal, and the suffering like it was those ten final seconds of the fight, where I needed to withstand everything, give it another big, painful try to win. I was sure I would beat the disease. Never did the idea of death shake me; in my mind all there was were upcoming BJJ plans — how and when I would resume training, what championship I was going to compete in next. I kept a very healthy mind, with the help of jiu-jitsu.

What about the recovery?

It was very quick. My doctor predicted I was going to take six months to feel in shape again. But in one month my hair grew back, I lost some 16 pounds and went back to training. Everything has a good side; the feeling of being able to breathe normally, to feel alive again is inexplicable. I started greatly cherishing the little things I didn’t even notice existed around me before. In my mind there had been nothing but training and becoming world champion. Now I realize that life is much more than that. I grew a lot, I feel.

What did you learn about BJJ as a result of that trial?

I had never known what a life without BJJ was like; after all, I started training at two years of age. I don’t remember anything from my first fights, given the fact that I was four. So I have attained this knowledge now, of going one year without being able to train. I learned how to see the suffering of the competitors during that marathon; to realize how there are teachers who have never won a world championship but who help hundreds of kids; that there are supporters who suffer, who curse — that is, that there is a world of people who feel intense feelings around BJJ. Prior to this, I only paid attention to my opponents. Another aspect that helped me is that, thanks to this thing, I was able to practice positions without having a championship on the horizon. So I tested new positions, modern guards, game types that make an opponent’s life harder. I do not intend to use any of these techniques; I want to continue with my game of seeking to take down, mount and finish, without thinking about points, but I managed to understand better the mechanics of some new positions, and now I have more possibilities to disarm my opponents. After all, knowing how to defend is knowing how to disarm one’s rivals.

Xande Ribeiro in 2016. Photo: Gustavo Aragão

Anyone who subscribes to or buys GRACIEMAG at the newsstand every month always has an arsenal of tips, pieces of advice and teachings on hand to help them out in training when they need it most.

You have your doubts? Today, GRACIEMAG.com serves up seven lessons for practitioners of any age or level. Stick to the seven and your Jiu-Jitsu will start improving right away.

1. Consistency means not making haste

Use your mind, not your body’s strength. After all, it’s better to practice Jiu-Jitsu three times a week for an entire lifetime than seven days a week for three years and then quit. Balance is an important ally in your evolution as a practitioner. Don’t overuse your muscles and ligaments and you’ll go far!

2. The most important muscle

The most important muscle for anyone who does Jiu-Jitsu is the heart, the endless desire to tap out but be back the next day to learn some more. Another vital part of our body is the ear. Keep your ears well trained to listen for and respect the pointers from all your companions at the academy, especially those older and higher ranked than you but also rookies and white belts.

3. There’s always a way out

If your game has reached a plateau at the academy, that doesn’t mean it’s time to make a stink about it or think the gentle art’s not for you. All black belts have been through that and persevered until they reached a solution.

Gabriel Moraes choked Gustavo Carpio for the light-featherweight title.

4. The path to fighting on automatic pilot: repetitions

It’s the greatest Jiu-Jitsu lesson, cultivated as much by your instructor as by the superstar Rodrigo Minotauro: you only get the finish on automatic pilot if you repeat the position ten, 50 times. Invest time in creating a solid foundation by repeating basic moves during warm-up. With the basics firmly entrenched, you’ll be able to build solid Jiu-Jitsu with no openings.

5. Believe in yourself until it transforms you

To improve, you need to be the first person who believes you can do it. Trust in the art, believe in your efforts, turn Jiu-Jitsu into your conviction, and the changes will occur quicker than you’d ever thought possible. Don’t think before going to training, just stick your gi in your backpack and head to the academy.

6. Flood your body with health

You can never have too much fruit, fresh water and pure air. Cut the stuff you KNOW is bad for you. Take good care of the instrument that is your body. Only thus will you be able to age and still do the same activities you enjoyed in your youth.

7. Nourish your hobby with good reading!

Want to find out more about the gentle art and have fun with some intelligent, interesting and at the same time laid-back reading? GRACIEMAG’s the magazine for you, the Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. Subscribe to GRACIEMAG for a special price by clicking here.

Look back into your life in the past 365 days and tell us how many of this 10 attitudes you adopt as your own. We’re sure they helped you to be a happier and healthier person.

1 – Start training Jiu-Jitsu: Let’s begin with the basics. We preach about the benefits of the gentle art for our health and how it provides quality to our lifestyle. We hope we were able to convince you to put on the gi and take your first class.

2 – Go back to training: Ok, we understand that sometimes it’s hard to stay on track with all the responsibilities of modern life. Even so, did you make that effort and allowed Jiu-Jitsu back into your life?

3 – If you already train, show up at least three times a week: You know that the world belongs to those that show up. Every expert will agree that the beginning is the hardest part of the proccess. Just hang on and enjoy the ride.

4 – Tap more: Did you leave your pride off the mats? Did you lose the fear of rolling with people of higher belts and get submitted. Remember that a black belt is a white belt that did not give up.

5 – Eat healthy, always: Again, there’s no big secret. Your body is your machine. If you put in bad fuel, you’ll run badly or even break down. So, did you skip the sodas, sweets, red meats and fries and went for the greens, fruits, nuts and fishes?

6 – Compete at least once: Ok, not everybody has that competitor drive, but if you are in Jiu-Jitsu you should try it at least once. The environment of a real live competition will make your blood pump and add a unique experience to your life. Hope you tried.

7 – Sign up for a seminar: Even if the level of training at your academy is fine, you should always be looking for ways to fasten your learning process. The biggest stars in Jiu-Jitsu are constantly teaching seminars. Tell us which seminars did you attend in 2015.

8 – Go on a BJJ trip: Rio de Janeiro is the obvious destination, but you can choose other places to go and train. Most major academies welcome visitors at a small fee. The IBJJF has tournaments all over the planet. Did you gather your friends, packed your gis and explored the world. Where did you go?

9 – Introduce a friend to Jiu-Jitsu: If you already train, you know how great it is. So, did you make it a personal challenge to bring a friend to train as well? He or she will thank you for sure.

10 – Be happy and live the moment: John Lennon said “life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans”. Did you live instead of just wasting time making plans?

The winter time brings low temperature and along with it a higher risk of us getting a cold and/or flu. This way a few measures should be taken in order to fortify our immune system and avoid missing Jiu-Jitsu classes in this period.

According to the Havard Medical School, “Your first line of defense is to choose a healthy lifestyle. Following general good-health guidelines is the single best step you can take toward keeping your immune system strong and healthy.” Thus, the best way to boost your body’s defense is adopting healthy-living strategies like:

• Don’t smoke.
• Eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and low in saturated fat.
• Exercise regularly.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Control your blood pressure.
• If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation.
• Get adequate sleep.
• Take steps to avoid infection, such as washing your hands frequently and cooking meats thoroughly.
• Get regular medical screening tests for people in your age group and risk category.

Knowing that diet is a main factor to one’s health, researches indicate that some vitamins and minerals play an important role in armoring your body such as: Selenium, Vitamin A, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E and Zinc.

Also, some supplements have drawn attention from researchers that might help strengthen our defenses but they need further studies to prove its efficiency such as: Aloe Vera (topical), Astragalus, Echinacea, Garlic, Ginseng, and Probiotics.

For more information on how to get the proper daily amount of vitamins and minerals, and how to use supplements and dosage, talk to your doctor or a specialist.

Detox juice: bowel cleanse

Do you know the importance of having a healthy gastrointestinal balance? It will ensure a great immune system, balanced hormone production, vitamin and mineral absorption, and recovery from workouts.

See how this tropical cleansing juice recipe created by a Brazilian nutritionist, Andrea Lane, helps to regulate and cleanse your body. Papaya juice helps in digestion and improves bowel function.

You can get many benefits drinking this simple papaya juice. It not only helps clean the intestines but also has antioxidant and thermogenic, fat-burning ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 thick slice of papaya (25 kcal)

1 orange (35 kcal)

3 kale leaves (10 kcal)

1 teaspoon of chia (10 kcal)

1 teaspoon of ginger

1 large glass of water (250 ml)

40 kcal per cup (200ml)

Benefits of the juice:

Papaya: has enzymes that improve digestion, and contains fiber that prevents constipation and improves bowel function.

Kale: rich in insoluble fiber, which increases the speed of intestinal transit. Kale is excellent in the defense of the digestive system and feeds the intestinal flora.

Orange: has a high fiber content that stimulates the movement of the digestive system, making it stronger and better-functioning.

Learn more about Andrea’s Brazilian recipes and nutrition tips at: http://blog.contarcalorias.com.br/.

Peppermint tea

Peppermint (Mentha piperita) is a noted digestive aid that stimulates the salivary glands, helps to eliminate nausea, eases heartburn, promotes burping, and calms stomach spasms and cramps.

Because of its action on the gastric lining, peppermint actually shortens the amount of time food spends in the stomach. This herb is traditionally used to cleanse and strengthen the entire body, including the heart muscle.

Because of its stimulating and warming properties, peppermint tea is a favorite old-time remedy for chills, colds, colic and rheumatism. It can even help relieve the nauseated feeling that often accompanies migraine or “sick” headache.

DESCRIPTION AND PARTS USED

Botanically speaking, peppermint is a hybrid that falls somewhere between spearmint and watermint. Most of the members of the mint family grow wild and like wet feet. Left on their own to choose their environment, these herbs favor the banks of brooks and streams or low damp meadows, but they do very well under cultivation as long as the soil is rich and moist. Of all the mints, peppermint is the most widely used. For the home-brewing of the peppermint tea. The leaves and flowering tops are used.

HISTORICAL NOTES

Medical prescriptions inscribed on old papyrus scrolls give evidence that peppermint has been used in Egypt since ancient times. As an effective medicinal and flavorful culinary herb, mint is in common use in both Middle Eastern and Asian lands today.

The benefits of peppermint have also been appreciated on Europe and Americas for long time. Peppermint has been listed in the United States Pharmacopoeia for more than 150 years.

SCIENTIFIC FINDS

Everyone is familiar with the taste of peppermint, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that herb contains menthol, along with volatile oils, menthone, methyl acetate, tannic acid, terpenes and vitamin C.

Is has been determined that oil of peppermint has very strong antispasmodic action. This property alone makes it valuable for relieving pains in the digestive tract, as well cramps in the abdomen.

Pharmacists often use peppermint in compound medicines because of its well-known ability to make disagreeable-tasting drugs palatable.

TRADITIONAL USE

Internal: To brew a flavorful cup of peppermint tea, use 1 heaping teaspoon (1/6oz or 4g) of dried herb parts to 8oz of freshly boiled water. Streep, strain and allow to cool. As a medicinal drink, peppermint tea is traditionally taken cold for the relief of nausea, headache, heartburn and flatulence.

External: Several sources claim that the bruised fresh leaves have a slight anesthetic effect. To relieve localized pain, pluck a few fresh leaves from peppermint thriving in your garden, crinkle them up, smooth them back out and apply to the affected area.

Peppermint is considered harmless and it may be used freely.

Source: Antol, MN. Healing Teas: How to prepare and use teas to maximize your health. Avery Ed. (1996) ISBN 0-89529-707-8.

Mix of fresh fruits

The urge to restrain sugar from our diet knowing that its excess contributes to obesity and other health problems is causing many people to wrongly avoid eating fruits.

The New York Times published an article in 2013 called “Making the case of eating fruit by Sophie Egan” in which, many experts say that fresh fruit should not become a casualty in the sugar wars. Actually, Dr. David Ludwig, the director of the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center at Boston Children’s Hospital said studies have showed that increased fruit consumption is tied to lower body weight and a lower risk of obesity-associated diseases.

“Whole fruits, he explained, contain a bounty of antioxidants and healthful nutrients, and their cellular scaffolding, made of fiber, makes us feel full and provides other metabolic benefits. When you bite into an apple, for example, the fruit’s fiber helps slow your absorption of fructose, the main sugar in most fruits. But fiber is not the full story. You can’t just take an 8-ounce glass of cola and add a serving of Metamucil and create a health food,” Dr. Ludwig said. “Even though the fructose-to-fiber ratio might be the same as an apple, the biological effects would be much different.”

Read full article here. 

The USDA recognize fruits are important sources of many nutrients, including potassium, fiber, vitamin C and folic acid, which are vital to maintain our body functioning well and healthy. Most fruits are naturally low in fat, sodium, and calories. Besides that, diets rich in foods containing fiber, such as some vegetables and fruits, may reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Fiber is also important for proper bowel function and fiber-containing foods such as fruits help provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories.

Thus, doctors advise that is preferable to opt for whole or cut-up fruits as sources of dietary fiber, instead of drinking the fruit juice. According to Dr. David L. Katz, director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center, Chewing the whole fruit slows down consumption compared to when you take an 8-ounce juice and just pour it down the hatch, which not only makes it easier to ingest more calories, but releases fructose faster into the bloodstream. Plus, he said, with juicing, “you reduce some of the metabolic benefit of the fiber by pulverizing it so fine; it changes the physical structure.” Commercially produced juices are particularly concerning since they are often filtered removing fiber altogether. If you opt for juice, tossing whole fruit in a blender rather than squeezing it offers the best chance of retaining most of the fiber, vitamins and minerals.

This way, it is recommended that you eat one to 2-1/2 cups of fruit each day and choose a variety in order to get the most benefits by absorbing different types of antioxidants and nutrients from different types of fruits.

Below, watch a video to find out what are the top 10 healthiest fruits on the planet:

Sources:

http://www.healthyeating.org/Healthy-Eating/All-Star-Foods/Fruits.aspx

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/fruits-why.html

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/31/making-the-case-for-eating-fruit/

Leandro Lo in the cover of GRACIEMAG #202

Leandro Lo is making history in Jiu-Jitsu. Black Belt under Cicero Costha in Brazil, the young athlete, 25, has been training in the gentle art for more than ten years now alongside other high-level competitors, such as the Miyao Brothers. As an avid competitor, he has accumulated so far a distinctive amount of victories in his carrier as a fighter and today places second in the official IBJJF Adult Black Belt ranking.

Born in São Paulo and with a unique fighting style, Lo is a current three times Jiu-Jitsu World Champion who has also won multiple gold medals at other prestigious tournaments, including the WPJJC, Pan Jiu-Jitsu and Brazilian National Championships. Last November, he defeated Gilbert Burns at Copa Podio – event in which he holds an almost perfect record since 2011.

While the ace Leandro Lo is highly known by his fancy Jiu-Jitsu, It might be the champion’s simplistic way of looking at life that is giving him the advantages to succeed. Here at GRACIEMAG.com, he talks about his lifestyle, what motivates him to compete and how he blends diet and training.

How do you combine diet and training?

My first training session is at 11am. Usually, in the morning I don’t feel hungry so I just drink an açaí and orange juice smoothie. When I’m trying to gain weight to move up in category, I replace the smoothie with a protein shake. My training finishes around noon, and then right after I eat lunch. I always have rice and beans with chicken or meat, salad or pasta. After my afternoon training I usually eat a snack high in protein, often with chicken. As I’m trying to put up some weight right now, I’m taking creatine, protein and carbo supplements as well. I don’t have a strict diet though; I often eat anything.

What is your biggest motivation to train and compete?

My love for Jiu-Jitsu, which makes me always want to evolve and win.

How would you describe your Lifestyle?

So, I think I would describe it as “I live my life intensively”.

Leandro Lo and Gilbert Burns battled for over 20 minutes last November at the Copa Podio, in Rio de Janeiro.

See how Lo was able to win the thrilling match in Brazil:

Leandro Lo VS Gilbert Durinho (Luta Especial) from Copa Podio on Vimeo.

Grape Juice

The Power of Grape Juice

By Adriana Gracie

The grape juice is a natural elixir for longevity, has a good amount of iron, vitamin C, B vitamins, potassium and other minerals. It is excellent to prevent tumors, has antioxidant action, increases blood flow, reduces thrombus formation, protects the cardiovascular, liver, nervous systems and more.

This is not a revolutionary new drug or a miraculous elixir, but grape juice is rich in polyphenols, antioxidants that protect cell membranes and the DNA. Its antioxidant action is one of the main health benefits, but grape juice has other powerful actions as well. In the circulatory system, it works like a vessel dilator that inhibits the formation of thrombosis. Yet, the benefits are far from stopping there!

The liver is the filter of our body, but it leaves many residues that are toxic. Grape juice helps removing such waste. In the nervous system, in addition to being an antioxidant, it improves blood flow, which contributes to a better functioning and protection of the brain. Therefore, it helps to prevent diseases such as Alzheimer’s syndromes and Parkinson. This health benefits are seen with prolonged use of grape juice in the diet. The recommended daily intake is approximately 400 ml (2 cups) for a 70 kg person and proportionate amount for children.

Antioxidants are found in the skins and seeds, the more vibrant is the skin color, the greater its power. The grape skins also contain a substance called resveratrol, which increases HDL cholesterol, the good cholesterol. The sugar in the juice is composed of glucose and fructose that is directly assimilated by the body, so it requires no effort to the digestive organs. From a therapeutic point of view, it is one of the most precious juices. Grape juice stimulates liver function, and it is even used as basis for pharmaceutical remedies. This function is performed not only by the juice, but also using the grape and vine leaves.

A new research presented this week at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology in Orlando, Florida suggests that regular consumption of grapes may play a role in eye health, protecting the deterioration of the retina. Specifically, a grape-enriched diet resulted in a protective effect on the structure and function of retina. The retina is the part of the eye that contains the cells that respond to light, known as photoreceptors. Retinal degenerative disease affects more than 5 million people in the US, and may cause blindness due to photoreceptor cell death. A thin layer of fabric inside the back wall of the eye with millions of light-sensitive cells, and other nerve cells receiving and organizing visual information, the retina is one of the most metabolically active tissues, requiring high levels of oxygen and becoming prone to oxidative stress. Grape consumption also protects retinal function in oxidative stress model of macular degeneration. Further analysis revealed that the grape diet resulted in lower levels of inflammatory proteins and higher levels of protective proteins in retinas. “The diet enriched with grape provided substantial protection of retinal function which is very exciting,” said Dr. Abigail Hackam, principal investigator of the study. “And it seems that the grapes can work in various ways to promote eye health of signal changes at the cellular level to directly combat oxidative stress.”

Another research presented last week at the Experimental Biology conference in San Diego, California suggests that regular consumption of grape can help relieve the pain associated with symptomatic osteoarthritis of the knee, and improve joint flexibility and global mobility. The researchers attribute these potential benefits to the polyphenols found in the fruit. One of the most common joint diseases among Americans, osteoarthritis is a condition in which the natural cartilage damping between the joints wears down. As the symptom management is often ineffective and joint replacement is an invasive surgery, many who sufferers with osteoarthritis seek more natural approaches. Grapes are rich in anti-inflammatory polyphenols, compounds that have been shown to reduce inflammation. The results of the study presented by the principal investigator Shanil Juma, Ph.D., showed that both men and women who consume a diet enriched with grape had a significant decrease in self-reported pain-related activity and a general decrease in total knee deficiency symptoms. “These results provide promising data that links the grape consumption with two very important outcomes for people living with knee osteoarthritis: reducing pain and improving joint flexibility,” said Juma.

References:

• Hackam A.  Presentation at Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting, 29 May 2014.
• http://www.worldhealth.net/news/grapes-may-protect-eye-health/
• http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-05/ral-gds052914.php
• Rebecca Small, Casey Tiernan, Young Hoo Kwon, Rene Paulson, Victorine Imrhan, Shanil Juma, et al. “Age-associated effect of freeze-dried grape powder on inflammatory markers and physical activity in adults with knee osteoarthritis” [Abstract 1025.8].  FASEB J., April 2014; 28:1025.8.
• http://www.worldhealth.net/news/grapes-may-alleviate-arthritis/
• http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-05/ral-gcm050814.php