What's So Great About Grape Seed?
January 11, 2016
Story at-a-glance
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Grape seeds are rich in powerful antioxidants and
natural plant compounds called oligomeric
proanthocyanidin complexes (OPCs)
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Grape seed extract may play a role in cancer prevention,
bone strength, oral health, healthy blood pressure and
more
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Grape seed extract may even be useful as a preventative
or therapeutic agent in Alzheimer’s disease
By Dr. Mercola
Grapes are one of the most popular fruits in the U.S., but many
people neglect to eat what is perhaps their healthiest feature — the
seeds. Grape seeds are rich in powerful antioxidants and natural
plant compounds called oligomeric proanthocyanidin complexes (OPCs).
OPCs are most well known for their antioxidant activity, which
means, at the very least, grape seed may help to destroy free
radicals in your body, which in turn may help you avoid premature
aging and certain chronic diseases.
However, OPCs also demonstrate a host of other beneficial
activities in the body, which may explain why grape seed extract
appears to help so many different health conditions while exerting
its effects body-wide.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National
Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH):1
"Today, grape seed extract is used as a folk or
traditional remedy for conditions related to the heart and blood
vessels, such as atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries),
high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and poor circulation …
… [C]omplications related to diabetes, such as nerve and
eye damage; vision problems, such as macular degeneration (which
can cause blindness); swelling after an injury or surgery;
cancer prevention; and wound healing.
The grape seeds used to produce grape seed extract are
generally obtained from wine manufacturers."
OPCs Help Make Grape Seed Extract a Health Superstar
One of grape seed extract's claims to fame is OPCs, which are
related to the much more well-known compound
resveratrol (found in grape skins). According to the journal
Alternative Medicine Review, OPCs not only have antioxidant activity
but are also:2
Antibacterial |
Antiviral |
Anti-carcinogenic |
Anti-inflammatory |
Anti-allergic |
Vasodilatory actions |
In addition, the journal reported OPCs "have been found to
inhibit lipid peroxidation, platelet aggregation, capillary
permeability and fragility, and to affect enzyme systems … Based on
these reported findings, OPCs may be a useful component in the
treatment of a number of conditions."
OPCs may even play a role in cancer prevention. Research
published in the journal Prostate found OPCs helped stop the spread
of prostate cancer cells and also caused apoptosis (cell death)
among prostate cancer cells.3
Further, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center:4
"Studies have found that grape seed extracts may prevent
the growth of breast, stomach, colon, prostate, and lung cancer
cells in test tubes. However, there is no clear evidence whether
it works in humans.
Antioxidants, such as those found in grape seed extract,
may help reduce the risk of developing cancer. Grape seed
extract may also help prevent damage to human liver cells caused
by chemotherapy medications."
Grape seed extract also contains high levels of compounds
(procyanidin dimers) that act as aromatase inhibitors. This is
likely another way grape seeds may help prevent and treat cancer,
specifically hormone-dependent breast cancer.
Aromatase, an enzyme, converts androgen to estrogen and is
expressed at higher levels in breast cancer tissues than normal
tissues.5
Many types of breast cancer are fueled by estrogen, which is why
some chemotherapy drugs work by inhibiting the activity of
aromatase. Grape seed extract may exert similar effects naturally.
Grape Seed for Your Heart Health, Skin and Brain
The more research that emerges on grape seeds, the more it
becomes clear they have wide-reaching health benefits. Grape seeds
have been shown to improve flexibility in joints, arteries and body
tissues such as your heart, for instance.
Grape seed also helps improve blood circulation by strengthening
capillaries, arteries and veins. Additional health benefits include
those that follow.6
High Blood Pressure
The
antioxidants, including flavonoids, linoleic acid, and
phenolic procyanidins, in grape seed extract help protect your
blood vessels from damage, which may help prevent high blood
pressure.
Grape seed extract has previously been shown to help dilate
blood vessels and was shown to lower blood pressure in people
with metabolic syndrome (most of whom also had prehypertension).
Another study found that a grape seed extract beverage
improved blood pressure in people with pre-hypertension,7
while a single dose of grape seed extract improved blood
pressure in hypertensive rats.8
Chronic Venous Insufficiency
The OPCs in grape seed extract may benefit this condition.
About 80 percent of those who consumed OPCs had an improvement
in symptoms after the first 10 days of treatment. Feelings of
heaviness, itching, and pain were reduced significantly.
Bone Strength
Grape seed extract has been shown to improve bone formation
and bone strength in animal studies.9
Swelling (Edema)
Grape seed extract has been found to inhibit leg swelling
that can occur during
prolonged sitting.10
In addition, according to the University of Maryland Medical
Center:11
"Edema is common after breast cancer surgery, and one
double-blind, placebo-controlled study found that breast
cancer patients who took 600 mg of grape seed extract daily
after surgery for six months had less edema and pain than
those who took placebo.
Another study found that people who took grape seed
extract after experiencing a sports injury had less swelling
than those who took placebo."
Cognitive Decline
Animal studies suggest grape seed extract may reverse
hippocampal dysfunction in the brain by reducing oxidative
stress and preserving mitochondrial function.12
Grape seed extract may even be useful as a preventative or
therapeutic agent in Alzheimer's disease.13
Oral Health
Grape seed extract solution led to less demineralization and
more remineralization of cavities in one lab study. Since
remineralization is an effective treatment that may stop or
reverse early tooth decay, grape seed extract could play a
beneficial role in
oral health.14
Diabetes
Grape seed extract administered along with exercise training
improved lipid profile, weight loss, blood pressure and other
diabetic complications better than either intervention
administered alone.
According to researchers, "This [grape seed extract and
exercise training] may constitute a convenient and inexpensive
therapeutic approach to diabetic complications."15
Slight evidence suggests grape seed extract may also be
beneficial for:16
- Improving night vision
- Protecting collagen and elastin in your skin (for anti-aging
effects)
- Treating hemorrhoids
- Protecting against oxidative rancidity and bacterial
pathogens
Can You Get the Benefits of Grape Seeds from Eating Grapes?
If you enjoy snacking on grapes, there's no reason to spit out
the seeds (and may be some benefit from eating them). However, to
reach therapeutic quantities of grape seeds you'd need to eat a
lot of grapes — and this is not recommended since grapes are
one of the
highest-fructose fruits.
Most grape-seed extract comes from ground-up seeds from grapes
used to make red wine. In fact, grape seeds and their extract are
considered a byproduct of the wine and grape juice industries.
While you can purchase whole grape seeds to consume for health
purposes, they're very bitter. This is actually a good
thing, as polyphenols, flavonoids, and other beneficial plant
compounds almost always taste bitter — it's a sign they're good for
you.
Unfortunately, since most people find them to be unpalatable,
"the food industry routinely removes these compounds from plant
foods through selective breeding and a variety of debittering
processes."17
If you're willing to get past the bitter taste, then whole grape
seeds are an option.
If not, grape seed and grape seed extract is available in
supplement form. There is no daily recommended amount at this time,
but some studies used doses of between 100 to 300 milligrams/day.18
The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends looking for
products that are standardized to 40 percent to 80 percent
proanthocyanidins, or an OPC content of not less than 95 percent.19
© Copyright 1997-2016 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved.
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