Eating grapes may protect against sunburn, UV damage to skin

Eating grapes can help protect against sunburn and ultraviolet UV skin damage and natural components found in the fruits known as polyphenols are thought to be responsible for these beneficial effects according to a new studyThe results published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology revealed that participants in the study showed increased resistance to sunburn and a reduction in markers of UV damage at the cellular levelGrapes may act as an edible sunscreen offering an additional layer of protection in addition to topical sunscreen products said lead researcher Craig Elmets from University of Alabama Birmingham in the USThe study investigated the impact of consuming whole grape powder equivalent to 225 cups of grapes per day for 14 days against photodamage from UV lightThe participants skin response to UV light was measured before and after consuming grapes for two weeks by determining the threshold dose of UV radiation that induced visible reddening after 24 hours the Minimal Erythema Dose MEDThe results showed that grape consumption was protective as more UV exposure was required to cause sunburn following grape consumption with MED increasing on average by 748 per centAnalysis of skin biopsies showed that the grape diet was associated with decreased DNA damage fewer deaths of skin cells and a reduction in inflammatory markers that if left unchecked together can impair skin function and can potentially lead to skin cancerWe saw a significant photoprotective effect with grape consumption and we were able to identify molecular pathways by which that benefit occurs through repair of DNA damage and downregulation of proinflammatory pathways said ElmetsMost skin cancer cases are associated with exposure to UV radiation from the Sun about 90 per cent of nonmelanoma skin cancers and 86 per cent of melanomas respectively Additionally an estimated 90 per cent of skin ageing is caused by the sunThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever