Grape therapy

Grape therapy, also known as ampelotherapy (from Ancient Greek ἄμπελος (ampelos), meaning "vine"), is a form of naturopathic alternative medicine that involves heavy consumption of grapes, including seeds, and parts of the vine, including leaves. Although there is some limited evidence of positive benefits from the use of grape therapy for health purposes, extreme claims, such as its ability to cure cancer, have been widely derided as “quackery”.

Background

Grapes have been associated with health for many centuries. They contain organic acids (tartaric, malic, citric, tannic), B group vitamins, vitamins P, PP, and C, calcium, carotene, magnesium salts, phosphorus and potassium, as well as trace elements such as copper, iron, manganese, sulphur and zinc. Proanthocyanidins, first extracted from grape seeds in 1970, and resveratrol, found in grape skins, are currently being studied for possible uses in the prevention and treatment of cancer and other illnesses, and for anti-ageing. Proanthocyanidins are powerful antioxidants that can block the action of free radicals. Advocates of grape therapy argue that these antioxidants inhibit the development of cancer, and can be used in treating a variety of other medical conditions such as arthritis and diabetes. Grapes are said to be beneficial for protecting against cardiovascular disease and, because of their potassium and glucose content, they are argued to be useful for treatment of heart disease by strengthening muscle tone, improving heart function and having a positive impact on convalescence. Alternative medicine practitioners have at times also recommended grapes and parts of the vine for high blood pressure, menopause, varicose veins, high cholesterol, skin rashes, and urination problems. The grape diet was promoted in the past as a treatment to flush toxins from the body. The grape cure is also prescribed for a decline in nutrition, especially with patients with early stage of tuberculosis, for diseases of the liver, kidneys and lungs and for gout and secondary anaemia and, in addition, for mental disease, nervous disorders, and sexual problems. Recent research by scientists at UCLA has found that combining resveratrol with benzoyl peroxide may improve that drug’s ability to kill the bacteria associated with acne. The presence of resveratrol on the skin of red grapes has prompted some doctors to recommend that adults drink reasonable quantities of red wine to combat heart disease. Resveratrol in red wine is suggested as an explanation for the disputed "French paradox," i.e. the apparent low occurrence of heart disease among the French, even though they eat a high-fat diet.

History

Johanna Brandt - Notice

The documentation of grape cures was first seen in a publication by V.N. Dmitriev called “Treatment With Grapes in Yalta on the Southern Crimean Shore” (1878). In the USSR, the principles of the grape cure were developed in the 1920s by a group of physicians of the Semashko Institute (Yalta), headed by A.V. D’iakov. Ampelotherapy continues to be offered in health clinics and spas, particularly in Europe, together with vinotherapy, a cosmetic treatment that involves rubbing grapes into the skin. Johanna Brandt, a South African doctor, popularized the grape diet as a treatment for cancer from 1925. She published about twenty pamphlets on the subject of natural remedies for health problems with her best-known publication being The Grape Cure, which is said to have been written after Brandt had cured herself of stomach cancer by following the diet. The book was republished in 1989 as How to Conquer Cancer, Naturally, including an endorsement of Brandt’s work by Benedict Lust, who is commonly referred to as "the father of naturopathy". The book may have been inspired by Arnold Ehret, a contemporary, who taught a Grape Cure course.

Treatments

An abandoned Ampelotherapy clinic on the outskirts of Rome, Italy

The leaves, stems, and grape itself, including seeds and skins, are used in herbal remedies. Most recommended diets involve large quantities of grapes, together with other foods. Treatments offered have varied from a diet that consists of eating large quantities of grapes together with other food to those that involve consuming nothing but grapes. One recommended course of ampelotherapy has to last 1-2 months. It is recommended to eat 2 kilos of grapes with their seed three times per week. This intake should be accompanied by a diet that limits the intake of smoked meat, milk and all dairy products and alcohol. The diet proposed by Johanna Brandt recommended fasting for two or three days, consuming only cold water, followed by a diet of only grapes and water for one to two weeks, with seven meals a day. Fresh fruits, tomatoes, and sour milk or cottage cheese are then introduced to the diet followed by raw vegetables.

Criticisms

Available scientific evidence does not support claims that a diet of grapes is alone effective for treating cancer or any other disease. Some laboratory evidence suggests that certain chemicals in grapes, their seeds and skins may help prevent heart disease and cancer, and are effective in treating diabetes but more research is needed on humans to understand the possible long-term benefits. The Brandt diet, in particular, has been described as “quackery” by Barrett who notes that the American Cancer Society reviewed the The Grape Cure in 1965, 1971, 1974, and 2000 and found no evidence of benefit against human cancer or any other disease.

See also

• Urine therapy

• Gerson therapy

• List of unproven and disproven cancer treatments