Here's the news we've all been waiting for: Some grapes may improve aging skin, according to a new study.
Muscadine grapes are made from Muscadine grapes native to America. Scientists at the University of Florida have found that mature shells help them stretch and retain water.
But before you can order any wine, there's a catch. Importantly, scientists have studied the effects of non-alcoholic wine.
This is the first randomized clinical trial examining the effects of non-alcoholic wine consumption on skin health. These findings were presented at the 2023 American Dietetic Association conference in Boston, USA.
In the study, women who drank two glasses of Muscadine wine a day showed improvements in skin elasticity and water retention after six weeks compared to women who took a placebo.
The researchers pointed out that trying this technique on alcoholic wines could lead to completely different results.
"We used non-alcoholic muscadine grapes because we were interested in the effects of the bioactive compounds in grapes, particularly the polyphenols, on skin health," said Dr. Lindsay Chrismann.
Polyphenols are chemical compounds that occur naturally in many plants. They have many benefits for human health, including improving digestion and regulating blood sugar levels. It is these polyphenols that scientists believe are responsible for the benefits of nutmeg.
Previous studies have shown that the polyphenols in grape muscadine help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress (an imbalance of oxygen and the ability to repair damage).
In the study, 17 women aged 40 to 67 were randomized to receive grapes or a placebo that tasted like grapes but did not contain polyphenols.
Although the team found positive effects of grapes on skin elasticity and water retention, there were no significant differences in wrinkles or skin smoothness between the two groups.
Due to the small study sample size, larger and more diverse study groups will be needed in the future to confirm and strengthen the findings. Additionally, these preliminary results predate any peer-reviewed work, so the findings do not yet prove that alcoholic muscle wine improves skin elasticity.
Warning: always remember to drink responsibly
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