Rich in polyphenols and antioxidants, grapes are considered a great ally for the skin, but not only that. A new study carried out by researchers based in Singapore reveals that regular consumption of grapes would also be beneficial for eye health, particularly in elderly individuals.
The benefits of reason for sight
It is a seasonal fruit that delights our taste buds, and which could also prove beneficial for the health and beauty of the skin. What more ? We already know the properties of grapes to fight excess sebum and skin aging, and even to prevent certain cardiovascular diseases, but researchers are now highlighting its benefits for preserving eye health. This is the first human study on this subject, confirming the results of previous research on the positive impact of grape consumption on the structure and function of the retina.
“Science has shown that an aging population is at higher risk of eye diseases and vision problems“, we can read as a preamble to this study, in a press release. Oxidative stress and the accumulation of advanced glycation products (AGE), which can be a result of diet or aging, for example, count among the main risk factors for eye diseases. Based on the observation that certain dietary antioxidants could not only reduce oxidative stress, but also inhibit the production of AGEs, researchers from the National University of Singapore looked into the potential impact consumption of grapes, rich in antioxidants, on eye health.
NO to diets, YES to WW!
Preserve eye health
Thirty-four elderly people (age not specified) from Singapore were included in this randomized, controlled trial which lasted sixteen weeks. Participants consumed either freeze-dried table grape powder, the equivalent of one and a half cups per day, or the same amount of placebo for the duration of the work, with a check every four or eight weeks, c It depends on certain parameters such as the optical density of macular pigment (DOPM), the state of AGEs, or even the plasma lutein concentration.
Published in the scientific journal Food & Function, this research suggests that grape consumption is associated with “a significant increase” in the optical density of macular pigment, which helps protect against certain eye diseases, as well as the antioxidant capacity of plasma. . Conversely, the group given the placebo showed a “significant increase” in harmful AGEs. Consumed regularly, and for only sixteen weeks, grapes have been shown to improve the main markers of eye health in elderly subjects.
“Our study is the first to show that grape consumption has a beneficial effect on eye health in humans, which is very interesting, especially with the increasing aging of the population. Grapes are an easily accessible fruit which studies have shown can have a beneficial impact in normal quantities, at a rate of one and a half cups per day.“, concludes Dr Jung Eun Kim, main author of this work.
