Eating red grapes—or drinking juice or wine made from them—could improve the health of overweight people by helping them burn fat better.

A new study showed that a compound in the grapes could help manage metabolic disorders such as fatty liver.

The researchers did not find a link to improved body weight. But ellagic acid in the grapes slowed the growth of existing fat cells and the formation of new ones. It also boosted the metabolism of fatty acids in the liver.

“If we could develop a strategy for reducing the harmful accumulation of fat in the liver, using common foods like grapes, that would be good news,” said biochemist Neil Shay, PhD.