Including grapes in your diet may have positive impact on your mental health as researchers have found that certain grape-derived compounds might be developed as therapeutic agents for the treatment of depression. The results, published online in the journal Nature Communications, indicate that these natural compounds may reduce depression by targeting newly discovered underlying mechanisms of the disease. Previous research has found that grape-derived polyphenols have some efficacy in modulating aspects of depression, yet the mechanisms of action had largely remained unknown until now. The new study found that a bioactive dietary polyphenol preparation from grape was effective in promoting resilience against stress-induced depression in mice. Specifically, the researchers found that two grape derived compounds dihydrocaffeic acid (DHCA) and malvidin-3’-O-glucoside (Mal-gluc) can promote resilience in mouse models of depression by modulating inflammation and synaptic plasticity, respectively.

Source: Hindustan Times February 03, 2018 09:45 UTC