Vitis vinifera

COMMON NAME: Vine

FAMILY: Vitaceae

CHARACTERISTICS: Vitis vinifera is a shrubby, climbing plant with abundant and irregular branching that grows up to a few metres in length. The leaves are palmate, the flowers are gathered in inflorescences that give life to the fruits, the grapes, which gather in clusters and can be yellowish-green or reddish-purple in colour.

HABITAT: The vine is native to the Mediterranean and the Middle East but is now cultivated throughout the world, particularly in temperate zones.

USES: Vine is commonly eaten at meals, as table fruit; it is traditionally used as a vasoprotector, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory. Many parts of the vine are used: fruits, leaves, seeds, sap and buds.

MECHANISM OF ACTION: The angioprotective activity of Vitis vinifera, carried out at the microcirculation level, is mainly due to the anthocyanosides present in its leaves. These are easily recognizable molecules as they are the pigments that give petals and leaves their characteristic color; they are very important molecules both for the plant and for our organism. Anthocyanins, in fact, have antioxidant activity: in plants they prevent UV rays from damaging exposed organs (mainly flowers and leaves), while in humans they counteract the damage caused by free radicals circulating in our blood.
The concentration of anthocyanins in grape leaves, in addition to being responsible for their typical red color, is used in food supplements to combat peripheral circulation disorders, capillary fragility, and phlebitis. In fact, these molecules are able to decrease the permeability of blood vessels by stabilizing the collagen structure in the vessel walls and increasing the resistance of the vessels themselves.
Vitis vinifera seeds, also rich in molecules with antioxidant activity that appear to be effective in preventing chronic degenerative diseases and skin aging processes, have also been found to be very interesting from a pharmacological point of view. They are also used as a source of oil rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Some studies are still underway on seeds to further investigate their properties.

CONTRAINDICATIONS: There are no obvious contraindications for grapevine but attention should be paid to any allergies and in pregnant women or during breastfeeding.