1. Grapes may help to improve the health of the eyes
According to research, consuming grapes could help in protecting eye health. The study revealed that a grape supplemented diet countered oxidative stress damage and preserved retinal function and structure in a laboratory model of retinal degeneration.
Grape components that help in the promotion of antioxidant activity are believed to be responsible for these health benefits, consistent with prior research that suggests compounds derived from grapes are biologically active in the retina.1✅ JOURNAL REFERENCE
DOI: 10.1016/j.nutr.2015.09.017
The retina is the section of the eye that contains the photoreceptor cells that react to light. There are 2 kinds of photoreceptors: cones and rods. Degenerative diseases of the retina result in progressive death of the photoreceptors and irreversible vision impairment such as blindness. There is a strong link between elevated oxidative stress and retinal disease and has been extensively researched in the development of age-related macular degeneration and other degenerations of the retina.
For this study, researchers looked into whether a grape supplemented diet would protect the retinal photoreceptors from acute oxidative stress-induced degeneration. Mice consumed either the diet supplemented with grapes, a sugar-matched control diet, or a standard chow control diet.
The results revealed that both the function and structure of the retina were preserved in the group consuming the diet enriched with grapes. Specifically, the group consuming the grape diet maintained the thickness of their retinae, the photoreceptor quantity, and the amount of photoreceptor activity, despite the oxidative stress.
On the other hand, in the group not consuming grapes, retinas were damaged, displaying lesions and holes, and with a substantial reduction in thickness. There was also a 40% decrease in photoreceptors as well as a significant loss of activity of the photoreceptors.
