That's right, grapes are about to be bumped up to the top of our food shopping list, because apparently they possess superpowers that will help shrink our waists while simultaneously boosting our sex lifes. Not bad, ey.
According to a recenly published study conducted by Harvard School of Public Health and the University of East Anglia, grapes and other berries can help people maitain a healthy weight, thanks to the high flavonoid content.
And only a single serving of grapes a day - that's approximately one handful - is enough to make a difference.
Flavonoids are natural compounds found in fruits and vegetables, and are reposonsible for giving berries their eye-catching bright shades. They already have quite the reputation for improving the cardiovascular and nervous systems, and well as having antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
The study followed 124,086 men and women in the USA over the period of 24 years. Each participant was asked to report their lifestyle habits, diet, weight and any health problems they experienced to the researchers every four years.
And after extensive examination of the data, researchers found that a diet that consists of even a small amout of flavanoids can not only help people maintain a healthy weight, but also shed pounds.
Within this time, men on average gained 2.2lb per four years, and women 4.8lb. However, those whose diets consisted of foods rich in flavonoids generally maintained a healthy weight, or even loss pounds over the period.
And benefits of a high-flavonoid diet were even seen when taking into account other lifestyle factors such as the amount of exercise people did and their general dietary habits.
Prof Aedin Cassidy, from UEA's Norwich Medical School, explained:
"Most adults gain weight as they age and even small increases in weight can have a substantial impact on risk of high blood pressure, developing heart disease, cancer or diabetes – so strategies to help individuals maintain a healthy weight in middle age are needed.
"We found that an increased consumption of most flavonoids were associated with weight maintenance, and even a modest weight loss. The results were found to be consistent across men and women, and different ages.
"Just a single portion of some of these fruits per day would have an important impact on health at a population level."
And onto the sex drive, it's also been shown that eating lots of flavonoids foods can help with erectile problems.
A study released earlier this month also conducted by the University of Harvard and UEA showed that middle-aged men who consumed flavonoid-rich foods on a regular basis were less likely to develop erectile dysfunction.
Prof. Cassidy explained:
“This is the first study to look at the association between flavonoids and erectile dysfunction, which affects up to half of all middle-aged and older men.
“Flavonoids are present in many plant-based foods and drinks including fruits, vegetables, tea, herbs and wine. We examined six main types of commonly consumed flavonoids and found that three in particular – anthocyanins, flavanones and flavones – are beneficial.
“Men who regularly consumed foods high in these flavonoids were 10% less likely to suffer erectile dysfunction. In terms of quantities, we’re talking just a few portions a week.”
The study looking at 50,000 men over 30 years showed that a high-flavonoid diet could reduce risk of erectile disfunction by 14 per cent, and up to 21 per cent if combined with regular excercise.
Foods rich in flavonoids include grapes, blackberries, cherries, radishes, and blackcurrents, and generally the darker shades meant for more flavonoids in sweet things.