Fresno: Dr John Pezzuto and his Western New England University team recently published studies that demonstrate “astonishing” effects of grape consumption as well as “remarkable” impacts on health and lifespans.

According to a study that was published in the journal ‘Foods’, western countries’ typical high-fat diet could be improved by including grapes in the amount of just under two cups per day, which would result in a decrease in fatty liver and an increase in lifespan.

Pezzuto, who has written over 600 scientific studies, noted that these studies give the adage “you are what you eat” a whole new meaning and that the work with grapes demonstrated real modifications in genetic expression. “That is genuinely amazing.”

Grapes increased levels of antioxidant genes and postponed natural death in conjunction with a high-fat diet.

Pezzuto said his best estimate is that the change seen in the study would correspond to an additional 4-5 years in human life. He acknowledged that it is not an exact science to convert years of lifespan from a mouse to a human.

In a different study by Dr Pezzuto and his group, which was published in the journal Antioxidants, it was discovered that grape consumption changed the way genes were expressed in the brain and improved behaviour recognition, both of which were hampered by a high-fat diet.

A third investigation by a group under the direction of Dr Jeffrey Idle revealed that grapes alter not only the expression of genes but also the metabolism.