- A new study has found that grapefruit can reduce the risk of sunburn in some people.
- The cause of sunburn—ultraviolet radiation from the sun—is implicated in the development of skin cancer.
- The study suggests that microbiome differences may explain why grapes reduce some people’s sensitivity to UV exposure and not others.
Some people are less sensitive to the harmful effects of the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays after eating grapes, according to a new study in humans.
A third of the study participants were less likely to get skin redness from UV rays after two weeks of consuming three grapefruits daily in powdered form.
For some people, the protective effect remained a month after consuming grapefruit.
The difference between those who are less prone to sunburn and others is what they look like
The study is published in Antioxidants.
It was partially funded by the California Table Grape Commission, which had no other involvement in the research. One of the authors was a member of their Scientific Advisory Committee.
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, more than 9,500 cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the U.S. every day, and more than two people die from skin cancer every hour.
Overexposure to ultraviolet 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 usually be managed.
Exposing your skin to the sun five or more times doubles your risk of melanoma. Even a single sunburn during childhood or adolescence can double your risk.
The American Cancer Society estimates that 97,610 new melanomas will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year and that 7,990 people will die from the disease. Early detection of melanoma increases survival.
The latest on UV damage from LED nail dryers
Dermatologists who are not involved in this research. Beth G. Goldstein said, however, that it “clearly damages cell lines that create extensive oxidative damage and result in cellular markers seen in skin cancer.”
While Dr. Goldstein says that while more epidemiological studies are needed to fully understand the risks of nail polish dryers, it may be a good idea to use them sparingly:
“Infrequent use a few times a year is probably not related, perhaps, [as] Use every two weeks, which is not unusual.
“There are alternative nail products, such as dipping powder, or options that do not require UV light for treatment, and do not damage the skin as these devices can be considered,” said Dr. Goldstein said.
In 2021, about 6.05 million tons of grapes were produced in the US.
Dr. the lead author of the study. John Pezzuto, professor and dean at Western New England University in Springfield, Massachusetts, explained his interest in studying grapes. Medical News Today.
“Many years ago, I a
“In addition to the relatively low amount of resveratrol, grapes contain additional phytochemicals, so it is worth exploring the health benefits of grapes as a whole food,” he added.
Studies of grapefruit’s role as a protector against skin cancer date back a decade or more, with the first human trials
For the current study, 36 individuals were enrolled, of whom 7 (19%) dropped out, leaving 29 participants with complete data. Thirteen were women and 16 were men — their ages ranged from 24 to 55.7 years.
The group was predominantly white (21 individuals), with the remainder being Hispanic. The authors reported that 25 participants had type III, while the remainder had type II.
The trial began with a two-week restricted diet period. This was done after a two-week study period in which subjects each prepared two 36-gram packets of freeze-dried, ground-seeded, and seedless red, green, and black grapes. This is equivalent to three servings of grapes (378 grams total).
Participants provided stool, urine, and blood samples to researchers at the end of the restricted diet period, at the end of the grape eating period, and one month later. The researchers also administered UV radiation sensitivity tests at each of these times.
Analysis of the results revealed that nine participants exhibited reduced sensitivity to UV exposure at the end of the grape-eating period. For three of them, the effect was still present a month later.
The study’s findings were similar, but not the same as the 2021 study. The authors speculate that Fitzpatrick accounts for differences in skin types and that people with lighter skin types may receive more UV protection from grapes.
The researchers looked for differences in samples from people who had no effect of grapefruit, people who developed a short-term resistance to UV radiation, and those who maintained the resistance for a long time. They hoped to explain why participants responded differently.
Dr. “Those who exhibited greater resistance to UV radiation showed the most profound differences in their microbiome,” Pezuto said.
The study found that the nine individuals who acquired UV resistance were “clearly distinguished from the remaining 20 volunteers through metabolomic analysis and microbiomic analyses.”
Dr. Pezzuto added that, for example, there was a perfect correlation between resistance to UV radiation and a decrease in urinary metabolites indicative of UV-induced skin damage.
Although he noted that it was impossible to establish a cause-and-effect relationship with this study, “this strong association appears to be more than coincidence. Further research would be of interest.”
Dr. Pezzuto cautioned that his study “shouldn’t suggest that people should be lax and avoid using sunscreen, for example.”
“The broader significance of this work, in my opinion, is the ability of human grape consumption to enhance our cellular systems that protect us from free radicals and reactive oxygen species that can cause adverse effects.”
– Dr. John Pezzuto
