The Health Benefits of the Grape Seed

Grapes are one of the most popular fruits in the U.S. When eating grapes, many people prefer seedless grapes. That is because they don't realize that 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 seeds may help to destroy free radicals in your body, which in turn may help you to avoid premature aging and certain chronic diseases.

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.

OPCs Help Make Grape Seed Extract a Health Superstar:

OPCs are related to the much more well-known compound resveratrol, which is found in the grape skins. According to the journal Alternative Medicine Review, OPCs not only have antioxidant activity but are also; antibacterial, antiviral, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic and possess 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.

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.

Grape seed also helps improve blood circulation by strengthening capillaries, arteries and veins.

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.

Chronic Venous Insufficiency:

The OPCs in grape seed extract may benefit this condition. About 80% 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.

Swelling (Edema):
Grape seed extract has been found to inhibit leg swelling that can occur during prolonged sitting.

Cognitive Decline:

Animal studies suggest grape seed extract may reverse hippocampal dysfunction in the brain by reducing oxidative stress and preserving mitochondrial function. Grape seed extract may even be useful as a preventative or therapeutic agent in Alzheimer's disease.

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.

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.

Can You Get the Benefits of Grape Seeds from Eating Grapes?

If you enjoy snacking on seeded grapes, there's no reason to spit out the seeds. To reach therapeutic quantities of grape seeds you would need to eat a lot of grapes. This is not recommended since grapes are one of the highest-fructose fruits. You also have to chew the seeds, since if you swallow them whole, they will just pass through your digestive system undigested.

Most grape-seed extract comes from ground-up seeds from grapes used to make red wine.

While you can purchase whole grape seeds to consume for health purposes, they are very bitter. Most people find them to be unpalatable.

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.

The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends looking for products that are standardized to 40 percent to 80% proanthocyanidins, or an OPC content of not less than 95%.

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