Table grapes help protect the skin from UV damage

A recent human study published in the scientific journal Antioxidants found that table grapes protected against skin damage from ultraviolet rays, and study subjects experienced increased resistance to sunburn after consuming 2/4 cup of grapes per day for two weeks
.
In addition, subjects shown to be UV-resistant exhibited unique microbiological and metabolomic characteristics, suggesting a correlation
between the gut and skin.
Natural components in grapes known as polyphenols are thought to be responsible for
these beneficial effects.

The new study builds on previous research
in this area.
In the survey, which involved 29 human volunteers, the researchers examined the effects
of consuming whole grape flour (equivalent to 2/4 cup of grapes per day) on UV damage for 14 consecutive days.
The researchers measured the subjects' skin response to ultraviolet light before and after two weeks of eating the grapes by determining the threshold dose of UV radiation, known as the minimum erythema dose (MED).

In addition, metabolomic analysis
was performed on gut microbiome, blood, and urine samples.

Ultimately, one-third of the subjects showed UV resistance after eating grapes, and these subjects showed significant differences
in microbiome and metabolome compared to those who did not respond.
It is worth noting that the same three urine metabolites were inhibited
in the anti-ultraviolet group.
In particular, a metabolite (2'-deoxyribose) is a strong indicator of photodamage reduction and suggests a unique genetic profile
associated with personalized medicine.

In addition, three UV-resistant subjects showed a durable UV-resistant response
after recovering to four weeks without consuming grapes.
This study shows that a subset of people have the ability to resist sunburn after consuming grapes, and that there is a correlation
between the gut-skin axis and UV resistance.

More than 3 million Americans are affected by skin cancer each year, largely due to sun exposure
.
It is estimated that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer by age 70, and most skin cancer cases are linked to exposure to the sun's ultraviolet radiation: about 90 percent of non-melanoma skin cancers and 86 percent of melanoma
, respectively.
In addition, it is estimated that 90% of skin aging is caused
by sunlight.

John Pezzuto, lead author of the paper and professor and dean of Western New England University in Springfield, Massachusetts, notes: "The phrase 'let food be your medicine, let medicine be your food' dates back to Hippocrates
.
Now, 2500 years later, as evidenced by human studies with table grapes, we are still learning the truth
of this claim.
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