This is the premise of the documentary “Healthy Hope” which will premiere at the Amelia Island Film Festival on Saturday, February 26 at 10:00 a.m. The documentary arrives in just under an hour and tells the story of the Muscadine grape, then features six medical researchers from five universities who are moving forward to prove the legendary health benefits of the Muscadine grape.
“After seeing Dr. Patricia Gallagher give a presentation at Wake Forest University about her research on the Muscadine grape, we decided we had to share this story,” said Cathy McLaughlin. She and her husband Dan took on the project during the COVID crisis in order to focus and overcome the highs and lows of isolation. The script tells a little about the history of this native southern grape variety, then explores the research that has been completed, and then the researchers’ hopes for future studies on the grape variety.
“What started as recorded Zoom calls with researchers, moved to site visits and the filming of researchers at their universities as COVID restrictions began to ease,” said Dan McLaughlin. “We have heard from several researchers that grape extract not only inhibits cancer growth by reducing the cancer’s ability to move, but also kills cancer on its own.” Also, research shows in animals that it can slow metastatic growth. Grapes contain natural components that increase the performance of mitochondria, which they claim will help reduce fatigue.
“Cathy and I want people to know that until the holy grail for cancer has been found, there are researchers looking for this cure in all spaces and places. And wouldn’t it be great if this either from an indigenous grape, a natural product?”
A Healthy Hope will premiere at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 26, 2022 at the Amelia Film Festival. filmamelia.org/program. The film was produced, directed and edited by Dan and Cathy McLaughlin, owners of CLINNEAM LLC.