Consuming grapes regularly could help preserve muscle health, especially in women.
- In a new study, scientists have identified 25 muscle genes affected by grape consumption.
- 11 of them – associated with lean muscle mass – have increased their activity, while 10 others – linked to muscle degeneration – have decreased.
- This shows that grape consumption, here equal to two portions per day in humans, improves muscle health.
Food has effects on muscle health, but according to a new study published in the journal Foodsa food would be particularly beneficial: grapes. To measure its impact, the researchers compared its benefits on mice.
25 muscle genes affected by grape consumption
In all, 480 rodents – 240 males and 240 females – were used. They were divided into four groups: M((a standard diet, M((a diet rich in grapes, fBlists with a standard diet and FModels with a diet rich in grapes. Food regimes started when the mice were one year old. For those of the group rich in grapes, the quantity was 5 % grape powder per day. For human beings, this is equivalent to two portions of grapes. After two and a half years, about 80 years in humans, scientists have analyzed the samples of the muscle tissues of the mice.
The latter identified 25 muscle genes affected by the consumption of grapes. According to the results, 11 of them – associated with lean muscle mass – increased their activity, while 10 others – linked to muscle degeneration – have decreased. “”This study offers evidence that grapes have the potential to improve muscle health at the genetic level”Says Dr. John Pezzuto, the main study researcher, in a press release.
Grape has better effects on women’s muscles
The effects of grapes on the genetic characteristics of the muscles were the same in male and female mice. This suggests that the benefits of this food would be greater for the latter, as it could reduce gender differences in muscle aging. For the moment, the observations made on the mice are not directly transposable to man. In the future, scientists therefore intend to continue their work to measure, on human beings, the preventive effects of grapes on the loss of mass and the strength of muscles linked to aging. This phenomenon, called “sarcopenia”, affects about 15 % of French people over 45 years old, according to The National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE). In those over 75, this percentage increases: between 20 and 35 %.
