Unveiling the Evidence: 5 Proven Health Benefits of Grapes

1. Grapes may Help Improve Eye Health
A recent research study indicates that eating grapes could be helpful in protecting eye health. A diet supplemented with grapes was shown to counter oxidative stress damage while protecting retinal function and structure in a laboratory model of retinal degeneration.

Grape components believed to promote antioxidant activity may be responsible for these health advantages, according to previous research which indicated they are bioactive in retina.

The retina is the section of the eye containing photoreceptor cells that respond to light. There are two kinds of photoreceptor cells: cones and rods. Degenerative diseases of the retina can result in progressive death of photoreceptor cells leading to irreversible vision impairment such as blindness. Increased oxidative stress has been extensively researched as a contributing factor for age-related macular degeneration as well as other retinal degenerations.

Researchers explored whether providing mice with a grape supplemented diet could protect retinal photoreceptors against acute oxidative stress-induced degeneration. Mice consumed either this diet, or one containing sugar-matched control ingredients or standard chow.

The results demonstrated that both function and structure of retina were preserved when subjects consumed a diet rich in grapes, particularly thickness of retina, photoreceptor quantity, and activity level (despite oxidative stress).

But in those not eating grapes, retinas were damaged, with lesions and holes as well as significant decrease in thickness. Photoreceptor numbers decreased by 40% and there was significant loss in activity of photoreceptors.