Clinical trials have already shown that eating grapes can help improve the skin's resistance to UV radiation in roughly 30% to 50% of people. Now, new research published in ACS Nutrition Science suggests the benefits of grapes for skin health may be much broader and could affect nearly everyone in some way.
In the study, volunteers consumed the equivalent of three servings of whole grapes each day for two weeks. Researchers then analyzed gene expression in participants' skin before and after grape consumption, both with and without exposure to low doses of UV radiation.
Grapes Changed Skin Gene Activity
The scientists found major differences in gene expression both between individuals and within the same individual over time. Each participant began the study with a unique pattern of gene activity in their skin.
Those patterns shifted after eating grapes and also changed following UV exposure. Additional changes appeared when grape consumption and UV exposure were combined. Even though every participant responded differently, researchers observed that grape consumption consistently altered gene expression in all subjects.
