It’s not just carrots, eating grapes is good for your eyes as well, a new study reveals. Just a couple of handfuls of grapes a day for four months was shown to improve key markers of eye health.
The secret lies in the fact that a lot of degeneration of the eyes is down to oxidative stress and grapes are high in anti-oxidants. The team from the National University of Singapore took 34 adults who consumed either one and a half cups of grapes a day or a placebo for 16 weeks.
The grape eaters showed a significant increase in macular pigment optical density (MPOD), plasma antioxidant capacity, and total phenolic content compared to those on placebo. Those who didn’t consume grapes saw a significant increase in harmful ocular advanced glycation end products (AGE) as measured in the skin.
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The study, published in the journal Food & Function, said the key risk factors for eye disease include oxidative stress and high levels of AGE. The researchers found AGEs may contribute to many eye diseases by damaging the vascular components of the retina, impairing cellular function, and causing oxidative stress.
Grapes, which are a natural source of antioxidants and other polyphenols can decrease oxidative stress and inhibit the formation of AGEs, with possible beneficial effects on the retina, such as an improvement in MPOD. Study co-author Dr Jung Eun Kim said: “Our study is the first to show that grape consumption beneficially impacts eye health in humans which is very exciting, especially with a growing ageing population.
“Grapes are an easy, accessible fruit that studies have shown can have a beneficial impact in normal amounts of just 1 ½ cups per day.
“Regular intake of grapes may improve eye health in older adults, specifically in augmenting MPOD, which can be explained by an increase in plasma total antioxidant capacity and phenolic content, and the downregulation of AGEs.”.
