The benefits of grapes could go beyond providing a healthy snack.

According to a study published in the journal ACS Nutrition Science, regular grape consumption can change how the genes behave, giving the skin an added defense system against sun damage.

The research, led by scientists at Western New England University, suggests that grapes could trigger changes in DNA.

EATING A COMMON VITAMIN-C PACKED FRUIT MIGHT TOTALLY TRANSFORM SKIN, STUDY FINDS

Researchers tracked a group of volunteers who first followed a restricted diet for two weeks to clear their systems, according to a press release.

Then, for the next two weeks, they ate the equivalent of three daily servings of whole grapes, provided in a concentrated, freeze-dried powder form.

The scientists took small skin samples before and after the grape diet, testing them both under normal conditions and after exposing them to low doses of ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun.

At the start of the study, each volunteer had their own pattern of gene activity. However, these patterns shifted noticeably after they ate grapes, after they were exposed to UV light, and when the grape-eating was combined with UV exposure.

SUNLIGHT EXPOSURE CAN POSE LIFE-CHANGING HEALTH BENEFITS, EXPERT SAYS

While everyone’s individual genetic responses were unique, grape consumption changed gene expression across all participants.

When skin is exposed to UV rays, it normally creates a chemical called malondialdehyde, which is a warning sign of cellular damage. After eating grapes, the volunteers showed significantly less of this damaging chemical, the study found.

“We are now certain that grapes act as a superfood and mediate a nutrigenomic response in humans,” John Pezzuto, PhD, professor and dean of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Western New England University, said in the press release.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

“We observed this with the largest organ of the body, the skin. The changes in gene expression indicated improvements in skin health.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES

Pezzuto also noted that the benefits likely don’t stop at the skin.

“Beyond skin, it is nearly certain that grape consumption affects gene expression in other somatic tissues of the body, such as the liver, muscles, kidney and even brain,” he said.

A major limitation of the study is its very small sample size, as usable, complete RNA sequencing data was successfully obtained from only four female participants, the researchers noted.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

Additionally, all four of these women shared a very similar skin type and background, meaning the genetic findings may not apply to a broader, more diverse population.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The researchers also emphasized that regular grape consumption cannot replace traditional sunscreen or sun-safe habits, and that the study relied on a highly concentrated grape powder rather than occasional, casual snacking.

An investigational dementia drug may also ease alcohol withdrawal by calming the brain inflammation linked to addiction and relapse.

That’s according to researchers at the University of Kentucky, who studied an experimental medication called MW150 that targets a brain inflammation pathway known as p38α MAPK.

The drug, which has not yet been approved, is designed to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.

ALCOHOL DEATHS HAVE MORE THAN DOUBLED IN RECENT YEARS, ESPECIALLY AMONG WOMEN

Scientists believe neuroinflammation may contribute to relapse risk and long-term neurological damage in people with alcohol use disorder.

In laboratory and animal-model experiments, MW150 was found to reduce certain inflammatory markers during alcohol withdrawal.

The work, which was published in the journal Alcohol, came from the University of Kentucky’s Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, led by neuroinflammation researcher Linda Van Eldik.

ALCOHOL POSES THESE 8 RISKS TO OLDER ADULTS, EXPERTS WARN

Caleb Bailey, Ph.D., co-author of the study and a researcher in Van Eldik’s lab, said the study provides “biological plausibility” that MW150 could mitigate neuroinflammation arising from alcohol withdrawal.

Alcohol use disorder is difficult to treat because of high relapse rates, especially during withdrawal, according to Bailey.

“If follow-up experiments reveal similar anti-inflammatory effects of MW150 in animal models of alcohol use disorder, it would provide a strong rationale for development of MW150 as a treatment for those struggling with chronic alcohol relapse due to alcohol withdrawal,” he told Fox News Digital.

‘I”M A NEUROSURGEON — HERE’S WHAT ALCOHOL DOES TO THE BODY’

Along with a related drug called Neflamapimod, MW150 is already being investigated in clinical trials as a potential therapy for dementia and other neurodegenerative conditions, the researchers noted.

“That gives this work added significance,” Bailey said. “Because these compounds are already further along in development for other neurological diseases, it raises the possibility that they could someday be repurposed more efficiently for alcohol-related conditions if future studies continue to show promise.”

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

There were some important caveats to the research, including that it was conducted in cell culture and animal models.

“Because they are ‘dish’-based models, they provide limited information regarding what happens in the full organism – or even the full brain for that matter,” Bailey said.

“A series of follow-up studies in living animals is required to more fully understand how future MW150 treatment in alcohol use and withdrawal affects systemic health and/or alcohol consumption.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES

Dr. Amy Swift, deputy chief medical officer at Silver Hill Hospital in Connecticut, was not involved in the study but shared her reactions to the findings.

“Although detoxification using tapering doses of medication has long been considered the evidence-based first step in treating alcohol use disorder, its impact on the long-term trajectory of a person’s drinking behavior has been limited,” she told Fox News Digital.

“Minimizing alcohol consumption … is the best strategy for staying healthy.”

“Put simply, detoxification does not treat alcohol use disorder itself; rather, it prevents the potentially fatal complications of alcohol withdrawal.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Adding supportive medications — especially those intended to improve overall brain health — could address an important gap in early treatment of detoxification, according to Swift.

“Given the profound inflammatory effects alcohol has across multiple organ systems, it is worthwhile to investigate whether reducing neuroinflammation could improve a patient’s ability to engage in treatment earlier in recovery and, in turn, meaningfully alter their long-term relationship with alcohol,” she added.

Bailey emphasized that no amount of alcohol consumption is good from a physical health standpoint.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

“We don’t currently have robust pharmacological treatments to mitigate damage caused by chronic alcohol consumption,” he said. “Minimizing alcohol consumption, therefore, is the best strategy for staying healthy.”

As the MW150 compound continues to be studied for dementia patients, Bailey saud, “information regarding the interaction between these drugs and alcohol — for better or for worse — will be important for patient outcomes.”

For years, researchers have believed prolonged sitting could raise dementia risk — but new findings suggest the type of sitting may matter more than previously thought.

The research, which was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in March, found that replacing mentally passive sedentary behavior with mentally active sedentary behavior was associated with a significant reduction in dementia risk.

Mentally active sedentary behaviors could include reading, office work and other activities that keep the brain engaged while sitting, while mentally passive behaviors may include watching television or other low-engagement screen activities.

‘I’M A NEUROLOGIST — HERE’S WHY DEMENTIA IS RISING AND HOW TO REDUCE YOUR RISK’

To gather the findings, Swedish researchers analyzed data from more than 20,000 adults between ages 35 and 64 who were tracked over a 19-year period, between 1997 and 2016, according to a press release.

Participants answered questions about their sitting habits, physical activity and other lifestyle behaviors, while dementia diagnoses were identified using Swedish health and death records.

Mentally active sedentary behavior was associated with “a significant reduction in dementia risk” compared to more passive sitting activities.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES

Although the study was based in Sweden, the release said the findings “are likely generalizable to a wider global population” and could help “inform public health guidelines and preventive strategies to reduce dementia.”

In a statement, lead researcher Dr. Mats Hallgren of Sweden’s Karolinska Institute said the study highlighted major distinctions between passive and mentally engaging sedentary habits when it comes to brain health.

“While all sitting involves minimal energy expenditure, it may be differentiated by the level of brain activity,” said Hallgren.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

“How we use our brains while we are sitting appears to be a crucial determinant of future cognitive functioning and, as we have shown, may predict dementia onset.”

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

Sedentary behavior is a “ubiquitous but modifiable risk factor for many health conditions, including dementia,” according to the researcher.

“Our study adds the observation that not all sedentary behaviors are equivalent; some may increase the risk of dementia, while others may be protective,” he added. “It is important to remain physically active as we age, but also mentally active — especially when we are sitting.”

The CDC projects that by 2060, nearly 14 million American adults will have Alzheimer’s disease.

One recent study published by the Alzheimer’s Association found that a person’s biological age may be tied to dementia risk.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Researchers also recently found that a higher intake of unprocessed meat may protect against dementia in older people who have a variant of a certain gene.