Procyanidin-rich diets reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Foods with the highests procyanidin content include red wine, chocolate, cranberry juice and apples. On average, chocolate and apples contained the largest procyanidin content per serving (164.7 and 147.1 mg) compared with red wine and cranberry juice (22.0 and 31.9 mg). Procyanidin content varies between apple types with the highest amounts on average observed for the Red Delicious (207.7 mg/serving) and Granny Smith (183.3 mg/serving) and the lowest amounts in the Golden Delicious (92.5 mg/serving) and McIntosh (105.0 mg/serving) varieties.
Apples and red wine have been demonstrated to reduce coronary artery disease progression. However, the goodness of apples and red wine each provide cardio protection in a different manner. Apple favorable effects (bad) cholesterol. Apple, but not wine, polyphenol extract dose-dependently decreases the esterification of cholesterol and the enterocyte secretion of lipoproteins. Apple polyphenols also decrease apolipoprotein B (apoB) secretion by inhibiting apoB synthesis. Red wine favorably effects good cholesterol by increasing HDL concentrations.
Red wine has favorable effects vascular integrity and platelet reactivity. Red wine has anti-oxidant properties and protects cholesterol from becoming polluted (oxidized). Red wine polyphenols neutralize platelets, making these tiny blood cells less likely to bind together and eventually clog an artery.
Sources:
Apple procyanidins decrease cholesterol esterification and lipoprotein secretion in Caco-2/TC7 enterocytes
Romain Vidal, Sandra Hernandez-Vallejo
Journal of Lipid Research, Vol. 46, 258-268, February 2005
The relationship between wine consumption and cardiovascular risk
Rotondo S, Di Castelnuovo A, de Gaetano G.
Ital Heart J. 2001 Jan;2(1):1-8
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