Answer: Possibly
 There is an old wives tale that says drinking 3 cups of grape juice each day after exposure to a stomach bug will prevent you from getting sick. No studies in people have been done to determine if this is true. However, there have been studies done recently in petri dishes that suggest that cranberry juice and grape juice may have antiviral potential1,2,3. In these studies, exposure to cranberry juice or grape juice decreased the infectivity of viruses similar to norovirus. (It is difficult to do experiments with the real human norovirus. That virus prefers attacking real people and doesn't like to work in a petri dish.) Cranberry juice has also been shown to help prevent urinary tract infections 4.
There is LOTS of information showing that red wine and purple grape juice have anti-BACTERIAL properities. Dr. Azlin Mustapha, a food scientist the the University of Missouri, has done many experiments in petri dishes that showed that red wine and Welches grape juice kill salmonella, e. coli, listeria, shigella, and H. Pylori. White wine was not nearly as effective5. Interestingly, probiotics (the good bacteria) were not harmed very much by the red wine and Welches grape juice. So, drinking a glass of red wine with your meal or 100% juice Welches grape juice may very well keep you from catching a food born illness.
Grape seed extract has also recently been shown to reduce the infectivity of norovirus surrogates in petri dishes6,7. So, if you take grape seed extract for its other health benefits, please let me know how it works for you if your family has a run-in with norovirus.
Black raspberry juice8 and Pomegranate juice9,10 have also been shown to decrease the infectivity of norovirus surrogates in petri dishes. They are very healthy for many reasons so if you take them in attempts to ward off a stomach bug, please send me your story.
No studies have been done on real people to determine if drinking cranberry juice, grape juice, red wine, black raspberry juice, or grape seed extract actually wards off a stomach VIRUS. I caught a stomach bug from my son in February 2012 even though I was drinking 1 cup of 100% juice cran-grape juice every day. If anyone wants to try drinking 3 cups of 100% juice Welches grape juice every day when a stomach bug is going around your house, please let me know how it works for you. I have to warn you that drinking 3 cups of grape juice each day can cause some mild intestinal issues. I know from experience that you might have noisy, gassy intestines and have to make an extra trip to the bathroom each day. If anyone (over 21) wants to try drinking 1 or 2 glasses of red wine every day when a stomach bug is going around your house, please let me know how it works for you. (Please don't do it if there is any reason that you shouldn't be drinking alcohol.) If you try the grape seed extract, black raspberry juice, or anything else in attempts to ward off norovirus, please share your story with me. I will post all of your results here so we can learn from each other's experiences. I drink the grape juice and cranberry juice shown in the ads below. I have never tried grape seed extract. You can e-mail me at phd.annie at gmail.com. Please remember that I am not a medical doctor. Do not take this as medical advice.
--Annie Pryor, Ph.D.
VIEWER COMMENTS
GRAPE JUICE WORKED FOR MY DAUGHTER!
This Xmas holiday, 19 of us gathered for the holiday for several days. Two of my nephews had a bout of norovirus before they came. Though they were recovered their sister came down with it the day after they arrived. The next day four more people fell ill. By the end of the "vacation" 14 out of 19 had it to varying degrees of severity.
My daughter, fours days after first exposure removed herself to a hotel with my two grandchildren and started them and herself on grape juice regimen. They accounted for three of the five that "escaped" the illness. I have to assume the grape juice did something to protect them from this virus. --Carol
RED WINE SEEMS TO BE A WINNER!
My kids have been sick with a stomach virus the past two weeks. (My youngest last week and my oldest this week) Miraculously, I have been spared. It made me realize just how rarely I get serious stomach flu's compared to the other members of my household, and the one's that I do get never seem to last for more than a day. I am the only one who drinks a glass or two of red wine every night that I don't work. Could be something to it.
-N GRAPE JUICE AND GRAPE SEED EXTRACT DID NOT WORK FOR ME. My 2 year old son had a stomach bug and threw up all over me. I started drinking 3 cups of grape juice each day and taking 2 grape seed extract capsules each day. Unfortunately, I still got sick 6 days after my son. -J
GRAPE JUICE WORKED FOR ME!
Two and 1/2 weeks ago (on a Thursday afternoon), we were called to pick up my 7 year son from school as he had vomited. The school had a lot of kids out with stomach flu, so we were pretty sure that's what it was. He threw up every 5-10 minutes for about 2 hours & I was with him for the whole time. I had read the trick about purple grape juice, so I started drinking it immediately. Saturday morning at 5:30, my 4 year old daughter woke up vomiting (in my bed). Later, that day, my husband started getting sick. I still drank the grape juice. The 3 other people in my family were all sick starting on Thursday afternoon until Sunday morning & I never got the flu, even though I took care of them. I credit drinking the grape juice (6-8 oz at a time, 3 times a day) for not getting the flu. I don't really enjoy the grape juice, but it's certainly worth it to avoid getting sick!
Julie
GRAPE JUICE and Apple Cider Vinegar DID NOT work for me. The grape juice and acv (Braggs organic raw with the mother) did not stop me from getting the stomach virus. (My doctor said it was probably the norovirus Sydney strain). Since joining the group (about 1 1/2 months ago) I have been religiously drinking 1 glass of welchs grape juice with 1 tablespoon of the acv a day. However, I did not drink it in sun, which is the night I got sick. I just felt off and didn't think I could handle drinking it. So, I do think it is a myth. I was sick for days. Leslie GRAPE JUICE WORKED FOR US!
We have used the grape juice trick a few times and have had success! My mom is a school teacher and teaches music and has 400 little ones and they have been sick left and right. She has been drinking grape juice the last two years and has not picked up the bug like she usually does every year. She has also told the teachers at the school and many have said it worked! They all said it was the first time that only one got sick in the house because everyone else was drinking grape juice. In May, my 3 year old little girl spent the night at my mom's house. My little girl woke up throwing up all night and part of the day. My mom and dad started drinking grape juice and neither picked it up. Then my husband and our 2 year old little boy started drinking and we did not pick it up either! We all followed the method of drinking three 8 oz glasses each day of Welches dark purple 100% grape juice.
--Lindsay
I swear by Apple Cider Vinegar My son had a stomach bug and was vomiting a few weeks ago. I took care of him and did all the cleaning. I let him kiss me and hug me. I put 1/4 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar into 1/2 cup of grape juice and 1/2 cup of apple juice. I mixed it and drank on an empty stomach every day. It kept me from getting sick. I swear by it! --Amy Nothing worked for us. My 8 month old got a terrible stomach bug. The doctor thought it was rotavirus but they didn't actually test his stool. 4 days later, I got sick with vomiting. Then my 4 year old and 8 year old came down with it 2 days after me. Both my 8 month old and my 8 year old got so sick that we had to take them to the ER. Prior to getting sick we all took the following daily (except the baby): elderberry syrup, probiotics, ACV shots (twice daily for adults, tbsp in OJ for kids), and grape juice daily. We also all took a multivitamin. We've done all of this for almost a year. When the baby got sick we added GSE and added Tummy Tune Up (and gave it to baby). It didn't help him at all. Everyone was as sick as they could possibly be so none of these measures helped at all. --Kari I drank grape juice and only got diarrhea but not vomiting.
My family had recently come down with the much dreaded stomach flu. I being the OCD kind of person I am,
have always tried to find a way to escape it's wrath! I of course always keep my hands clean and out of my
mouth. I have 2 boys, the oldest is 6 and youngest 3. We keep their hands foamed with Germ-X advanced as much
as humanly possible. It is impossible however, to do this 24/7. I have always used this website as a guide
on what steps to take if you are trying to prevent the virus or alleviate symptoms. Recently I read about people
using grape juice to prevent the virus. As I had said earlier, my wife and both boys had the stomach virus and I
was willing to try anything to keep from getting it! The rule for the grape juice was: If you have been exposed to
the Virus start drinking 100% grape juice 3 times a day. I went to the store and bought some grape juice. I drank around
8 oz. each time. The next day I began to have watery stools with cramping and wondered if it was the grape juice or the virus.
I didn't let the way I felt stop my regemin, I continued to take my grape juice. The following day the watery stools stopped
and I had no stomach pain. After a few days I dropped my dosage to 1 8 oz. glass of grape juice a day, and continue to do
so just for health purposes. I feel that drinking the grape juice kept me from getting extremely sick with the Virus. It
lessened the symptoms! My family had all Vomited several times and was much sicker than I. Based on my results I would say
that the grape juice theory works. Thank you Anne for all your hard work and dedication to this website!
--Travis
GRAPE JUICE WORKED 2 OUT OF 3 TIMES FOR ME.
There is something that has worked 2 out of 3 times for me. My kids have already had stomach viruses 3 times since the summer. All 3 times I drank grape juice 3x a day. In 1 glass per day I added a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to it. I actually think it's more the vinegar that helps you not get it. The 3rd virus we all got except for my husband. My 3 year old twins were puking for 3 days. I was only puking for about 6 hours and it wasn't too bad - nothing like what I've dealt with before (so the grape juice and vinegar must have at least helped). My husband was taking care of my kids, but I'm the one that got it instead of him!
Jessica
RED WINE WORKS FOR ME!
I have not had a stomach virus since I started drinking red wine over 15 years ago. It's not proof by any means, but it definitely can't hurt.--Tracy Apple Cider Vinegar, Grape Juice, Tummy TuneUp and BerryWell worked for my son. My 10 year old son was around my vomiting grandmother for a full 24 hours and used her bathroom several times. As soon as he got home, I started him on 1 tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar twice a day for 72 hours. I mixed it in either 8 ounces of grape juice or apple juice. I also gave him Tummy TuneUp and Berry well. He did not get sick! -Stephanie I TOOK EVERYTHING AND IT WORKED FOR ME! My daughter woke up sick last Tuesday. Happy to report, no one else caught it. She was exposed at dance (a little boy threw up in the dance studio), within 36hrs, she had it. My husband who very very rarely washes his hands, never caught it and he's the one to clean the carpet where she was sick. My oldest daughter accidentally drank from my youngest daughter's water bottle the day after she was sick, my oldest never caught it. (promptly handed my oldest a pro-biotic pill, a tall glass of grape juice and greek yogurt) ;) I cleaned up after my youngest after her 12-15 episodes, took her to the ER later that night due to chest pain and a rapid pulse and was in general " a mom of a sick kid", and I never caught it. My husband took nothing. As I said before, he rarely even washes his hands, he is NEVER sick.. I took Ultimate '10' Probiotic from the Vitamin shoppe 1x per day, and Ginger Root extract 250mg by Solaray 1x per day, then app 10 oz. grape juice 3-4x per day. then app 6oz. of Chobani Greek yogurt 2x per day. My oldest daughter followed only the grape juice and yogurt parts. However, I forgot that when she drank from her sisters water, on top of the over things I mentioned, I also spray her throat with a couple shots of Colloidal Silver by Wellness. There is hope! ;) Heather 1 Cup of Grape Juice each day didn't work for us. My family all drinks one cup of Welches grape juice every day all the time. My 6 year old son still came down with a stomach bug in February 2013. So, 1 cup a day isn't enough to ward it off, unfortunately. --Heather
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