Grapes are a unique berry, the fruits and leaves of which have long been used to prepare delicious dishes and drinks. Its use for medicinal purposes is used to combat various diseases, including heart diseases.
On this page we will understand how grapes and blood pressure are related, whether the fruit increases or decreases its performance, and discuss the methods of using the berry and existing contraindications.
Impact on performance
Grapes contain a lot of components that are useful for absolutely every person.
They have a positive effect on heart function, blood composition, and the strength of vascular walls. That is why this berry is not prohibited for both hypertensive and hypotensive patients.
To lower blood pressure, diuretics are used primarily. Grape berries are a natural diuretic, so they do their job perfectly.
For people whose blood pressure levels are low, it is most advisable to eat dried grapes - raisins. It has a beneficial effect on the central nervous system, the condition of which is especially important for people with hypotension.
Periodic consumption of grapes or a small amount of dry red wine stabilizes the functioning of the heart and reduces the likelihood of developing a heart attack.
Beneficial features
Grapes are very tasty and healthy, which is why their berries are very popular. The beneficial components included in its composition strengthen the immune system and improve the performance of vital organs. These include:
- Organic acids.
- Phytosterols.
- Tanning elements.
- Cellulose.
- Vitamins of group B, as well as A, C, K, P, N.
- Microelements: potassium, magnesium, sodium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, manganese and fluorine.
- Flavonoids.
Their effect on our body:
- reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood fluid;
- strengthen the walls of blood vessels and increase their size;
- restore metabolism;
- increase the amount of nutrients in the body.
In addition to the beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system, phytosterols contained in berries prevent the development of cancer.
And also read on our website: How does red wine affect a person’s blood pressure - does it increase or decrease them?
Contraindications
Despite all the benefits of grapes, there are a number of pathological conditions in which it is strictly not recommended and even prohibited to eat them. These include:
- diabetes and obesity;
- allergy;
- ulcers of the duodenum or stomach;
- gastrointestinal cancer;
- chronic diarrhea.
- colitis;
- cirrhosis of the liver.
It is also prohibited for people who have problems with the adrenal glands and genitourinary system, accompanied by impaired removal of fluid from the body, as it can cause an increase in blood pressure.
Presses
Many people are concerned about the question of how to quickly press grapes into wine, especially if we are talking about a large volume of raw materials. In this case, it is recommended to use special presses. The operating principle of such equipment is based on the movement of shafts rotating in different directions, which compress the berries, separating the juice.
There are several crusher designs that have advantages and disadvantages. The drive that sets the shafts in motion can be mechanical (movement is carried out by hands) or electric. The choice of equipment depends on the number of grapes and the desired productivity. Types of wine presses:
- With destemmer. This element ensures that when squeezing the juice, the berries are separated from the brush, thereby preventing tannins from the ridges from getting into the juice. The comb separator can have different configurations.
- Without destemmer. The main difference from the previous type is the absence of a comb separator. The process of obtaining juice is slower, because the raw material needs preparation - separating the berries from the stem.
- Roll crushers-comb separators. The processing process is close to production. Operating principle: rollers squeeze juice out of grapes, then the must is filtered using a destemmer. The gap between the shafts is adjustable and depends on the type of raw material, the standard is the size of the pit.
- Centrifugal impact comb separators. Available in horizontal and vertical assembly. The principle of operation is based on the impact force of the rotor, which rotates at a speed of 300-400 rpm. This crusher is also equipped with a destemmer, which cleans the juice from the pulp.
To obtain juice for wine, it is not recommended to use juice boiling devices. Temperature affects the structure of the juice, which can cause the wine to fail.
How to use for blood pressure?
To stabilize the heart, doctors recommend eating half a glass of fresh berries daily.
You should give up grapes only if adverse reactions occur: allergies, pain in the lumbar region, bladder or other unpleasant symptoms. Raisins are more suitable for hypotensive patients, since they contain a minimal amount of liquid and microelements that have a diuretic effect. The daily norm is the same.
Dry red wine has a beneficial effect on the composition of the blood and the strength of the arteries. It is recommended to drink no more than one glass per day. To obtain the desired effect, you must choose only a natural and high-quality product.
Not only grape berries are suitable for reducing and normalizing blood pressure. To prepare an effective folk remedy, you should grind dry or fresh leaves of the plant, pour boiled water over them and leave in a dark place for several hours, or better yet, overnight. It is recommended to take the resulting tincture 2-3 times a day, 100 ml. before every meal.
Grape tea has excellent preventive properties and taste. In order to prepare it, stock up on a large amount of leaves, dry it, chop it and brew one teaspoon at a time. This drink is especially useful in winter.
As hypertension progresses, grape leaves and berries should not be used as independent treatment. In such cases, traditional recipes are used only as an adjuvant in conjunction with the main drug treatment prescribed by a doctor.
And also read on our website: How does cinnamon affect blood pressure - does it increase or decrease it?
We crush grapes with hand tools
If the volume of raw materials is small, it is recommended to use your hands or hand tools to extract juice. Before crushing grapes with your hands, you must wash them thoroughly and wear rubber gloves. You need to crush the berries without haste, keeping your hands at the bottom of the container.
It is recommended to avoid contact between juice and metal (except stainless steel), as this impairs the taste of the drink and causes oxidation.
You can also squeeze out the juice using a wooden rolling pin or pestle. For a faster processing process, you need to use a drill or screwdriver with a mixer attachment. This method does not require additional equipment, but in this case, not all the grapes are broken, and small parts of the ridges get into the pulp along with the berries.
Instead of a construction mixer, you can design a stainless steel knife in the form of a propeller.
Which varieties are better?
To get the maximum benefit from using grapes, you need to know what effect its different varieties have on the human body.
According to research by American scientists, light varieties of berries have a strong diuretic effect, which reduces the load on arterial walls.
Dark varieties, in turn, are used to stabilize the functioning of the entire cardiovascular system and as a prophylactic against diseases that affect it. This type of grape is recommended for low blood pressure.
To choose the variety that suits you, it is recommended to consult with your doctor.
Processing grapes for white wine
Pressing grapes with feet, hands, or a crusher is suitable exclusively for red wines. With these processing methods, pulp is obtained, that is, a kind of “porridge” from grape juice, particles of peel, seeds and, in some cases, ridges. For the preparation of white wines, fermentation on the pulp is not carried out. For several reasons. The main one is preserving the color of the drink. The main amount of grape coloring matter is in the skin. If the integrity of the shell is damaged, it passes into the must and provides color to red wines. It would seem, so what? After all, white grapes have a white shell, so even if the berry is crushed along with it, the color should not suffer. And yet he suffers. The wine turns out darker due to oxidative processes, not as sparkling. The taste also suffers, since the shell contains tannins. The wine turns out rougher. Although it is white wines that are famous for being the lightest, most delicate, radiant and fresh. Therefore, they are prepared exclusively from grape juice.
For small volumes at home, you can use an ordinary juicer to obtain juice, monitoring the degree of pressure. It would be good if it was a mechanical model like a meat grinder. In such a juicer, you can control the degree of dryness of the resulting pulp; it should be well moistened, with intact seeds.
They crush white grapes at home and by hand, through canvas bags. Grapes are poured into a bag, tied, placed in a basin and pressed from the outside. Moreover, the juice, which itself begins to be released during the pressing process through the pores of the bag, is called gravity flow. It is believed that gravity produced wine is of the highest quality. Very often gravity fermentation is done separately. The remaining mass after gravity flow is squeezed out through a bag and, after settling, sent for fermentation.
To crush significant volumes at home, winemakers come to the aid of special grape presses, which allow them to crush the berries and simultaneously squeeze out the juice. Presses also come in a variety of modifications, modified and improved, mechanical and automatic, screw and operating on the jack principle. But the essence is approximately the same. Grapes are loaded into a barrel-like container and covered with a lid. In the press, along the entire area of the container, except for the lid, there are small holes through which the juice flows out after the lid, which freely passes inside, begins to fall down under the influence of the applied force and crush the berries. As a rule, a container with holes or is already immersed in another, wider container, which, in fact, collects the juice. Or you should immerse the press at home in some kind of barrel. The force that drives the lid, which acts as a bend, depends on the model of the press. But this is not so significant. There are also presses containing filters that retain the smallest suspended particles in the juice. These are, of course, the most expensive models. And everyone decides for themselves whether it is worth spending so much money. But the simplest version of a press, which can be used to press not only grapes, but also other vegetables and fruits, can be made by any home craftsman using a drum from an old washing machine.
