Recent studies by scientists at Western New England University in Springfield, Mass., and touted by the California table grape industry show "astonishing' effects of grape consumption and "remarkable" impacts on overall health and lifespan.

Published in the journal Foods, one study showed that adding grapes to a high-fat diet, typically consumed in western countries, yielded reductions in fatty liver and extended lifespans, according to a California Table Grape Commission release.

Another published in the journal Antioxidants reported that grape consumption altered gene expression in the brain and had positive effects on behavior and cognition that were impaired by a high-fat diet.

A third study, published in the journal Food & Nutrition, showed that in addition to changes in genetic expression, grapes also change metabolism.

The studies add an entirely new dimension to the old saying ‘"you are what you eat," said lead researcher John Pezzuto, who has authored over 600 scientific studies. He added the work with grapes showed actual changes in genetic expression.

“That is truly remarkable," he said.

Adding grapes to a high-fat diet also increased levels of antioxidant genes and delayed natural death, according to the research. Acknowledging that it is not an exact science to translate years of lifespan from a mouse to a human, Pezzuto said that his best estimate is the change observed in the study would correspond to an additional 4-5 years in the life of a human.

The CTGC provided grapes for the studies.

Source: California Table Grape Commission, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.