Are your muscles looking a bit sad? Your first inclination may be to load up on protein or add a supplement powder to your workout shake. Alternatively, you might tweak your exercise routine to include more resistance training or aerobic activities. And while all of these efforts might work, new research indicates that snacking on grapes could also pump up your muscles, especially as you get older.
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Eating grapes can help with muscle health, according to new research.
Various studies have been published touting the amazing health benefits of grapes, including those for heart health, vision, gut health and immunity, and sleep.
"Grapes often get a bad rap as being too sweet or sugary, but they are a nutrient-dense fruit and can be included into a healthy diet," said registered dietician and sports nutrition adjunct professor Roxana Ehsani, MS, RD, in an interview with EatingWell. "Grapes are packed with essential carbs, hydration, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and polyphenols."
And now, researchers have discovered another benefit to eating grapes. A new study published in the journal Foods suggests that long-term grape consumption can stave off muscle loss, especially in postmenopausal women.
"This study provides compelling evidence that grapes have the potential to enhance muscle health at the genetic level," John Pezzuto, PhD, study author and dean of pharmacy and health sciences at Western New England University, said in a statement obtained by StudyFinds.
Grapes were associated with preventing age-related muscle loss.
Using a mouse model, researchers administered food with grape powder "to assess gene expression in the skeletal muscles." The amount of grape powder (five percent) equated to two human servings of grapes. The 480 mice were split into cohorts based on sex and diet (grape powder vs. control groups), and assessments were taken at the 2.5-year mark (around age 80 in human years).
Results showed positive changes in muscle-related gene expression for both male and female mice on the grape powder diet; 25 genes associated with muscle health were identified. Moreover, the females exhibited "greater alterations and converging toward male-like characteristics" when it came to conserving muscle. The study’s authors say this development could help postmenopausal women improve muscle function, which typically declines around this life stage.
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The takeaway:
In addition to boosting immunity and a healthy heart, grapes may help prevent muscle deterioration with age. While this is an enlightening discovery in the medical/food field, more research—particularly human assessments—is needed.
"Given their safety profile and widespread availability, it will be exciting to explore how quickly these changes can be observed in human trials," said Pezzuto.
As for how many grapes are safe to eat per day, "It’s a good idea to stick to one serving," Ehsani told EatingWell. "Though, if you are a grape lover you might want to have multiple servings on one day every so often, and that’s perfectly OK."
