Can eating grapes help prevent arthritis?

Snacking on grapes every day could help bring a little comfort to your creaky knees.

The resveratrol in grapes has long been heralded for its heart-healthy properties. But the same compound may also help reduce symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, writes Joseph Maroon, M.D., in his book The Longevity Factor.

No one is suggesting that resveratrol will ever replace pain pills. But results from several early studies show that the compound could someday have a place in joint care. In fact, in one study, researchers found that injections of resveratrol helped soothe inflamed joints in animals. And while it's not clear how much dietary resveratrol would be needed to help arthritis, grapes and grape juice have lots of other health-promoting qualities, so adding them to your diet certainly can't hurt.

Resveratrol stops inflammation the same way aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs do -- by inhibiting the molecular switch that turns inflammation on and off in the body.

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