- Grapes may reduce the chance of sunburn in some people, a new study finds.
- The cause of sunburn — ultraviolet radiation from the sun — has been linked to the development of skin cancer.
- The study suggests that differences in the microbiome could explain why grapes reduce sensitivity to UV exposure in some people but not in others.
Some people become less sensitive to the damaging effects of the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays after eating grapes, according to a new study in humans.
After consuming three servings of grape powder per day for two weeks, a third of the study participants became less prone to skin redness caused by UV rays.
For some people, this protective effect persisted for a month after they stopped eating grapes.
The difference between those less likely to get sunburned and others seems to be that they
The study was published in Antioxidants.
It was funded in part by the California Table Grape Council, which had no other involvement in the research. One of the authors is a member of their scientific advisory board.
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, more than 9,500 cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the United States every day, and more than two people die from skin cancer every hour.
Overexposure to ultraviolet radiation is responsible for approximately 90% of non-melanoma cancers, including basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, and is considered a major factor in melanoma. Nonmelanoma cancers can usually be managed.
Burning your skin five or more times in the sun doubles your risk of melanoma. Sunburn blistering in childhood or adolescence also doubles your risk.
The American Cancer Society predicts that 97,610 new cases of melanoma will be diagnosed in the United States this year, and 7,990 people will die from the disease. Finding melanoma early increases your chances of survival.
The latest news on UV damage from LED nail dryers
However, it “clearly documented damage to cell lines that caused extensive oxidative damage and resulted in the cellular markers seen in skin cancer,” said dermatologist Dr. Beth G. Goldstein, who was not involved in the study. .”
While Dr. Goldstein says further epidemiological studies are necessary to fully understand the risks of nail polish dryers, it might be a good idea to reduce their use:
“Using rarely a few times a year may be less of a concern, perhaps, [as] It’s not uncommon to use it every two weeks. “
“There are alternative nail products, such as dip powders, or options that don’t require UV curing and don’t cause the skin damage that these devices can,” says Dr. Goldstein.
In 2021, about 6.05 million tons of grapes were produced in the U.S. Grapes have been shown to be beneficial for “atherosclerosis, inflammation, cancer, gastrointestinal health, central nervous system effects, osteoarthritis, bladder function and vision,” according to new research.
The study’s lead author, John Pezzuto, Ph.D., professor and dean of Western New England University in Springfield, Massachusetts, explained his interest in studying grapevine Medical News Today.
“Many years ago, I published an
“In addition to relatively small amounts of resveratrol, grapes contain a large number of additional phytochemicals, so it is reasonable to explore the health benefits of grapes as a whole food,” he added.
Research on grapes as a skin cancer protector dates back a decade or more, with first human trials
For the current study, of 36 participants, 7 (19%) withdrew, leaving 29 participants with complete data. 13 women and 16 men – ranging in age from 24 to 55.7 years.
The group was predominantly white (21 people) with the remainder being Hispanic. The authors report that 25 of the participants were type III, while the rest were type II.
The trial began with a two-week restricted diet period. This was followed by a two-week study period during which each person prepared two 36-gram packets per day of freeze-dried, ground, seedless red, green and black grapes. This is equivalent to three servings of grapes (378 grams total).
Participants provided the researchers with stool, urine and blood samples at the end of the restricted diet period, at the end of the grape eating period, and one month later. The researchers also performed a UV exposure sensitivity test at each of these times.
Analysis of the results found that nine participants showed reduced sensitivity to UV exposure by the end of the grape-eating period. For three of them, the effects were still there a month later.
The study’s findings are similar to, but not identical to, the 2021 study. The authors speculate that differences in Fitzpatrick’s skin type are responsible for this, and that people with lighter skin types may get better UV protection from grapes.
The researchers looked for differences in the sample between people who had no effect on grapes, people who developed transient resistance to UV radiation, and people who maintained resistance for a longer period of time. They hope to explain why participants respond differently.
“People who showed greater resistance to UV radiation showed the most profound differences in their microbiomes,” Dr. Pezzuto said.
“Nine individuals who acquired UV resistance were significantly different from the remaining 20 volunteers by metabolomic analysis and microbiomic analysis,” the study said.
For example, there was a perfect correlation between resistance to UV radiation and a reduction in urine metabolites that indicate UV-induced skin damage, Dr. Pezzuto added.
While he notes that it’s impossible to establish a causal relationship with this study, “this strong correlation seems to be more than a coincidence. More studies would be interesting.”
Dr. Pezzuto cautioned that his study “is not suggesting that people should be careless, such as avoiding sunscreen.”
“The broader implication of this work, in my opinion, is that human consumption of grapes strengthens our cellular systems to protect us from free radicals and reactive oxygen species that can lead to adverse effects.”
— Dr. John Pezzuto
