Some people become less sensitive to the damaging effects of the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays after consuming grapes, according to a new study on humans.
A third of the study’s participants became less prone to skin-reddening from UV rays after two weeks of eating three servings of grapes daily in powdered form.
For some individuals, the protective effect lasted a month after the grape consumption ended.
Skin cancers
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, more than 9,500 cases of skin cancer are diagnosed daily in the U.S. More than two people die of skin cancer every hour.
Over-exposure to UV radiation is the cause of about 90% of non-melanoma cancers—including basal
cell and squamous cell cancers—and is considered a major factor in melanoma. Non-melanoma cancers can typically be managed.
The latest on UV damage from LED nail dryers
Recent researchTrusted Source also suggests that LED UV nail polish dryers may alter skin cells on a molecular level, potentially leading to fingertip skin cancers. Reports of such cancers in people who use gel polishes led to the investigation.
Do grapes have sun protection qualities?
In 2021, about 6.05 million tons of grapes were produced in the U.S. Grapes have been shown to have a
positive role to play in “atherosclerosis, inflammation, cancer, gastrointestinal health, central nervous
system effects, osteoarthritis, urinary bladder function, and vision,” according to the new study.
Lead author of the study, Dr. John Pezzuto, a professor and dean at Western New England University in Springfield, Massachusetts, explained his interest in studying grapes to Medical News Today.