What’s Friendly and Purple? (Hint: Not Barney)

A new study suggests that grape juice can reduce the level of platelet aggregation--the “stickiness” of blood--better than aspirin . . . as long as it’s purple grape juice. Results of the study were presented Monday at the American College of Cardiology’s 47th scientific session.

The study involved 10 subjects who drank a cup to a cup and a half of fruit juice--orange, grapefruit or grape--per hundred pounds of body weight daily for seven to 10 days, then drank no juice for a week, then switched to another of the juices until all had been tried. Orange and grapefruit juice had no effect; with grape juice eight subjects showed the lower levels of blood clotting.

High platelet aggregation levels contribute to heart attack and stroke. Aspirin is a traditional treatment, but it causes upset stomach in some people and, in any case, adrenaline--which is produced by stress or exercise--reduces aspirin’s effectiveness.