Muscadine Grapes – The New Superfood of 2010?

New York, NY (Vocus) November 18, 2009

The Acai Berry has been the top superfood for the past 3 years, but will 2010 be the year of the Muscadine Grape, Resveratrol or some other ingredient? A new Special Report by PowerSupplements.Com looks at the science behind muscadines and resveratrol to help determine if 2010 will be the year when Acai gets bumped out of the top spot.

The Acai berry has gained international recognition as one of the highest antioxidant fruits in the world. Dr. Perricone named the Acai berry as the #1 Superfood on the Oprah Winfrey show. Acai has been featured on the Today Show, CBS Early Show, Wall Street Jounal and the New York Times. The Acai berry grows in the Acai Palm trees of the Amazon Rainforest and is very high in antioxidants, healthy Omega fats, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. While other foods and fruits may be high in certain key nutrients, what has made the Acai the top superfood is its complete nutritional profile.

Resveratrol (or Trans-Resveratrol) is a polyphenol that is found in red grapes. Resveratrol has become the subject of great interest because of its ability to mimic calorie restriction and trigger the release of Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1). The reason this is so significant is that it is believed that SIRT1 plays a role in slowing the process of aging and disease. Resveratrol has been featured on CBS News 60 Minutes, the New York Times, Oprah and countless other media organizations.

The muscadine grape (Vitis rotundifolia), also called Scuppernong, have adapted over the years to survive the harsh climate of the Southeast United States where they grow. Muscadines tend to be larger, stronger and have thicker skins than traditional grapes. Muscadines and Red Grapes actually have a real genetic difference. Red Grape have 19 pairs of chromosomes, Muscadines actually have an extra pair of chromosomes – they have 20 pairs! It is believed that this genetic difference is the reason that Muscadines have 6 times the Resveratrol of red grapes, 40 times the antioxidants, more fiber than oat bran and are the only grapes to contain ellagic acid.

“Clearly there is some very strong science behind resveratrol and the muscadine grape. In addition to the science, some of what makes a food a superfood is the media coverage. Here again, you see a lot of similarity on how the media has covered acai and resveratrol” states Bob Peters, Director of Communications for PowerSupplements.Com . “2010 is shaping up to be a very competitive race for the claim of top superfood. Our Resveratrol Special Report makes some educated guesses on who will win this race, but in the end all these ingredients will continue to be Top 5 Superfoods in 2010.”

There is no clear definition of what makes a food a supefood, so the decision on top superfood is always somewhat subjective. Generally super foods are foods that have very strong nutritional properties and provide a wealth of health benefits. While most superfoods tend to come from exotic locations, the muscadine grape shows that sometimes the top superfoods can be growing right in our backyard.

Peters concludes, “Muscadine grapes have incredible nutritional properties and they grow right here in the Southeastern USA. Acai, Noni, Mangosteen – these fruits all come from exotic locations and that is part of consumers fascination with them. However, if you base your superfood decision on just the science and potential health benefits, a very strong case can be made for the Muscadine Grape as a top superfood of 2010.”

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