Grape Cure

(ampelotherapy), the use of grapes for treatment of various illnesses. The grape cure was known as early as the first century A.D.; in Russia grape cure began with the publication of V. N. Dmitriev’s monograph “Treatment With Grapes in Yalta on the Southern Crimean Shore” (1878). In the USSR the scientific and theoretical principles of the grape cure were developed in the 1920’s by a group of physicians of the Semashko Institute (Yalta), headed by A. V. D’iakov.

The principal components of grapes are 10-33 percent sugar (glucose and fructose), organic acids (tartaric, malic, citric, tannic, and others), pectic substances, and salts of potassium, sodium, calcium, iron, and aluminum. In addition, grapes contain vitamin C and B-complex vitamins, the provitamin A (carotene), and also some ferments and phytoncides. For the grape cure, so-called therapeutic varieties are used. Of the Crimean grapes these include Chasselas, Riesling, Semillon, and Tshaouche; of the Middle Asian grapes, Taguzium (Parkente), Akkichmich, Tchiliaki, and Khodja-ohrai. The grape cure is taken at health resorts on the Southern Crimean Shore, such as Sudak and Evpatoriia, and in Moldavia. At health resorts in Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Middle Asia it is usually combined with climatotherapy. For therapeutic purposes, only completely ripe grapes are selected; the daily dose may reach 2 kg of grapes or 1.2 liters of juice.

During grape therapy patients must not take fatty foods, milk or milk products, alcoholic beverages, kvass, or mineral waters in order to avoid complications of the gastrointestinal tract. During grape treatment, metabolic processes are activated (first of all, water-salt metabolism), urine production is increased (promoting recession of edema), gastric secretion is normalized, peristaltic activity of the intestinal tract is intensified, and appetite is improved. The grape cure is prescribed for a decline in nutrition, especially in patients in the early stage of tuberculosis, for diseases of the heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, and for gout and secondary anemias. The grape cure is contraindicated in diabetes mellitus, any acute disease, gastric ulcer, exacerbated chronic tuberculosis, obesity, hypertension, and chronic diarrheas.