Name: Grapeseed Extract - Standardized Extract
Scientific Name: Vitis vinifera
Intro: The medicinal and nutritional value of grapes (Vitis vinifera) has been heralded for thousands of years. Grape leaves were traditionally used to stop bleeding, inflammation, and pain, such as the kind brought on by hemorrhoids. Unripe grapes were used to treat sore throats and dried grapes (raisins) were used to heal consumption, constipation, and thirst. The round, ripe, sweet grapes, were used to treat a range of health problems including cancer, cholera, smallpox, nausea, eye infections, and skin, kidney, and liver diseases.
Researchers are now discovering that most of the healthful properties of grapes may actually come from the seeds themselves. Among other beneficial effects, the active compounds in grape seed are believed to have antioxidant properties. A recent study found that supplementation with grape seed extract substantially increased levels of antioxidants in the blood. Antioxidants found in grape seeds can neutralize free radicals and may reduce or even help prevent some of the damage they cause.
Today, professional herbalists use standardized extracts of grape seed to treat a range of health problems related to free radical damage, including heart disease and cancer. Flavonoids found in red wine have been shown to inhibit the oxidation of LDL ("bad") cholesterol. (LDL oxidation can lead to hardening of the arteries or atherosclerosis). If it is indeed the flavonoids contributing to heart protection, then grape seed extracts offer an important alternative to alcohol, particularly given the down sides of drinking alcohol). It is also important to note that the use of alcohol is not advocated by the American Heart Association and other organizations because of the potential for addiction and the other serious repercussions such as motor vehicle accidents and the development of hypertension, liver disease, breast cancer, and weight gain.
Nutrient Content: Vitamin E, flavonoids, linoleic acid, and compounds called procyanidins (also known as condensed tannins, pycnogenols, and oligomeric proanthocyanidins or OPCs) are highly concentrated in grape seeds. These healthful compounds can also be found in lower concentrations in the skin of the grape. Procyanidins are also found in grape juice and wine, but in lower concentrations.
Benefits:
Comments: The Dietary Supplement Information Bureau recommends a daily dosage of approximately 50mg (standardized extract), 2 times a day for optimal health. At the recommended dosage, grape seed is considered very safe
Caution: Pregnant or breastfeeding women should avoid grape seed supplements.
There are no known scientific reports of interactions between grape seed and conventional medications.