Grapes have a range of health benefits, including boosting immunity, promoting cardiovascular health and regulating blood sugar levels, as they are rich in potassium. But how many grapes should you eat in a day? Researchers say three servings is ideal.
The study was published in the journal scientific reportfound that grapes can also positively impact gut health by increasing the abundance of beneficial gut bacteria, giving us yet another reason to incorporate grapes into our daily diet.
How important is gut flora?
Gut microbiota is crucial to human health, affecting digestion, immune function, nutrient absorption and other aspects, and even affects such as Obesity, diabetes and mental health.
Given the impact of different nutrients on the microbiome, researchers have turned their attention to specific foods, such as grapes, to explore their potential benefits in promoting the growth and diversity of the gut microbiome.
Beyond the Known Benefits of Grapes heart health, memory improvement and prevent colon cancer, researchers have found that they can also help reduce inflammation in the body.
“Now that we know that diet can modulate the gut microbiome, and we know that dietary grapes can have some health effects, it’s reasonable to ask: Can grapes modulate the gut microbiome? This may be related to the overall mechanism of action,” John PezzutoDean of the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and Professor of Pharmacy at Western New England University Medical News Today (MNT).
How does three servings of grapes affect microbiome production?
The researchers followed 41 healthy people, of whom only 29 completed the study. Among the participants, 22 women (53.7%) and 19 men (46.3%). Participants ranged in age from 20.9 to 55.7 years, with a mean age of 39.8 years.
When the participants were asked to eat grapes for two weeks, certain types of gut bacteria, such as Holdemania spp., decreased, while others, such as Streptococcus thermophilus, increased.
Some people showed microbiome changes even 30 days after they stopped eating grapes, suggesting that the effects of grape consumption may be delayed.
“It’s logical to think that some microbes find grapes desirable and thrive, while others don’t. It’s very complicated, and, if one member of the microbiome starts to flourish, that in itself could affect grape abundance .Others,” Pezzuto told MNT.
“Since each microbial member of the community has its own enzymes involved in various metabolic pathways, changes in abundance will alter enzyme and pathway levels, either up or down,” he added.
AFP/SAFIN HAMED
Published by Medicaldaily.com