Grape consumption benefits eye health among elderly adults, finds study

Researchers have found in a recent randomized, controlled human study that consumption of grapes for 16 weeks improved key markers of eye health in older adults.

This is the first human study that ooked at the impact of regular consumption of grapes on macular pigment accumulation and other biomarkers of eye health and the results reinforce earlier, preliminary studies where consuming grapes was found to protect retinal structure and function.

The study, published in the scientific journal Food & Function.

Science has shown that an aging population has a higher risk of eye disease and vision problems. Key risk factors for eye disease include 1) oxidative stress and 2) high levels of ocular advanced glycation end products (AGEs). AGEs may contribute to many eye diseases by damaging the vascular components of the retina, impairing cellular function, and causing oxidative stress. Dietary antioxidants can decrease oxidative stress and inhibit the formation of AGEs, with possible beneficial effects on the retina, such as an improvement in Macular Pigment Optical Density (MPOD). Grapes are a natural source of antioxidants and other polyphenols.