Can grapes protect your skin from the sun?

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Grapes have several benefits, especially when it comes to maintaining good health.

A recent study shows eating grapes can help prevent sunburns.

"There are 1,600 phytonutrient compounds in grapes. Somehow magically, together, they have kind of amazing health benefits," said Kathleen Nave, president of the California Table Grape Commission. "The latest is on skin."

The study, funded partly by the California Table Grape Commission, shows eating 2 1/4 cups of grapes every day for two weeks can protect some people's skin from ultraviolet rays. According to health experts, UV rays can cause skin cancer.

The difference between those who were less likely to get sunburned and those who weren't are microbiomes. This is a collection of bacteria, fungi, viruses and their genes living on us and inside us.

The study further shows a connection between the gut and U-V resistance.

"What we have shown over 20 years is that there's something in those compounds in a grape that benefits our cellular structures," Nave said.

She added that there's a lot of research being done on the benefits of grapes, which also includes heart and brain health.

These impacts will not only be felt by those who eat grapes, but also those who grow them -- with most growers located in the Central Valley.

"For the growers and the people who work in operations or in the fields, anything that increases demand adds to their economic stability, could add to the price that retailers would have to give growers for the grapes that they're producing," said Nave. "So it's like a huge win-win."

The full study can be found here.