Move over the carrots: In a small new study, just a handful of grapes a day for four months was enough to improve key indicators of eye health in older adults.
This could be because a lot of eye damage is caused by oxidative stress and grapes are rich in antioxidants.
A research team from the National University of Singapore studied 34 adults who consumed one and a half cups of grapes or a placebo daily for 16 weeks.
Grape consumers showed a significant increase in macular pigment optical density (MPOD), plasma antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content compared to the placebo group.
In addition, those who did not consume grapes saw a significant increase in harmful ocular advanced glycation end products (AGE), a key risk factor for eye disease, along with oxidative stress.
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Based on a double-blind randomized trial, the reviewed study was published in the journal Food & Function.
Previous research suggests that AGEs may play a role in many eye diseases by damaging retinal vascular components, disrupting cellular function, and causing oxidative stress. Early studies on mice showed that consuming grapes protected the structure and function of the retina.
Grapes, which are a natural source of antioxidants and other polyphenols, can reduce oxidative stress and prevent the formation of AGEs, with possible beneficial effects on the retina, such as improving MPOD.
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“Our study is the first to show that grape consumption beneficially affects eye health in humans, which is very exciting, especially with the growing aging population,” said study co-author Dr. Jung Yoon Kim. .
Grapes are an easy and readily available fruit that studies have shown can have a beneficial effect in typical amounts of just 1 cup per day.
“Regular consumption of grapes may improve eye health in the elderly, particularly in increasing MPOD, which can be explained by increased plasma total antioxidant capacity and phenolic content, and decreased AGEs.”
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