A recent study by Western New England University (WNE) shows that eating grapes long-term can significantly improve muscle health for both men and women. The research, published in the journal Foods, suggests that adding grapes to your diet can change how genes work in muscles, offering a new way to keep muscle mass and function healthy.
Grapes are consumed in large quantities—about 30 million tons annually—and their benefits go beyond nutrition. They have been shown to affect heart, kidney, skin, eye, and gastrointestinal health.
The study found that eating grapes daily changes how genes work in muscles, with a stronger effect in women. This brings male and female muscle characteristics closer together at a metabolic level. Genes linked to healthy muscle mass increased, while those related to muscle degeneration decreased, showing improved muscle function. These findings could help with age-related muscle loss, which affects 10-16% of older adults. The research suggests that eating grapes regularly could work well with traditional muscle maintenance strategies like exercise and high-protein diets.
Dr. John Pezzuto, the study’s senior investigator, noted that grapes have the potential to enhance muscle health at a genetic level. Given their safety and availability, it will be interesting to see how quickly these changes occur in human trials.
Nutrigenomics is the study of how diet affects gene expression and how genetic differences impact dietary responses. Grapes are rich in phytochemicals, which have potential health benefits through nutrigenomic mechanisms. The researchers looked at how two servings of grapes per day affected muscle gene expression. They found that male and female muscles, which usually differ, became more similar when grapes were part of the diet.
In humans, DNA doesn’t vary much from person to person, but how genes are expressed can differ greatly. This study showed that eating grapes changed how genes were expressed in male and female muscles, especially in women. This resulted in similar metabolic parameters for both sexes. The expression of genes related to healthy muscle mass increased, while those related to muscle degeneration decreased.
The researchers plan to investigate further how these changes happen and how long they take. As nutrigenomics evolves, this study opens up new ways to improve muscle health across all age groups.
Read more:
- New Study Reveals Yogurt’s Potential Role In Reducing Colon Cancer Risk
- The Catch On MS: How Eating More Fish May Help Manage Disability
- New Study Cracks The Code On Ovarian Aging And Menopause Timing
