Since ancient Greece, people have used grapes, grape leaves, and sap to promote health. The grape seed extract was developed in the 1970s and used to treat various diseases, including venous insufficiency, promote wound healing, and reduce inflammation.
Do you know grape seed extract benefits and side effects?
Table of Contents
- What is grape seed extract?
- How to eat grape seed capsules?
- What are the benefits of grape seeds?
- Are there any side effects of grape seed extract?
- Safety Precautions
- Where to buy grape seed extract recommended by most people?
What is grape seed extract?
Grape seed extract mainly refers to OPCs (oligomeric proanthocyanidin complexes), a natural plant metabolite widely present in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and flowers,
In addition to free radical scavenging and antioxidant activity, proanthocyanidins also have antibacterial, antiviral, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, vasodilation; inhibit lipid peroxidation, platelet aggregation, capillary permeability, and brittleness
Related common natural foods rich in proanthocyanidins are cranberry, pine bark, resveratrol, cocoa, etc.
How to eat grape seed capsules?
Grape seed OPC extract can be used as a dietary supplement, in liquid form, tablet, or capsules. Supplements usually contain 50 to 100 mg of extract.
The effective dose of grape seed OPC extract has not yet been determined. The dose used in the study is between 100-300 mg per day, and the highest safe dose is yet to be confirmed.
What are the benefits of grape seeds?
1. Good blood pressure regulation
Hypertension is a chronic disease with increased blood pressure. It significantly increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and renal insufficiency, and is therefore the leading cause of death worldwide. The overall prevalence of hypertension among adults over 25 years of age is around 40%.
Although hypertension is usually not accompanied by symptoms, patients with severely elevated blood pressure may be affected such as headache, dizziness, dizziness or syncope
A meta-analysis of literature (including 16 randomized controlled studies, 810 participants) pointed out that grape seed extract can have a beneficial effect on blood pressure, especially in young people or obese subjects and metabolic diseases It is more obvious in patients.
The underlying mechanism may be related to the prevention of free radical damage to cells by the polyphenols in grape seeds, endothelium-dependent relaxation response, and enhancement of nitric oxide biological activity.
*Conclusion: Oral grape seed extract can have a positive effect on blood pressure regulation, but it is limited by heterogeneity and small sample size. More research is still needed to confirm.
2. Beneficial non-alcoholic fatty liver
Nonalcoholic fatty liver mainly defines triglycerides accumulated in liver cells, and its content exceeds 5% of the weight of the liver and occurs in the state of not drinking alcohol.
It ranges from simple steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), with varying degrees of fibrosis, and may progress to cirrhosis and end-stage liver disease, and even hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Common causes of fatty liver are obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome, including dyslipidemia and hypertension.
A double-blind controlled study (a three-month, 30 non-alcoholic fatty liver patients) pointed out that compared with the control group using vitamin C, the use of grape seed extract can improve liver function indicators: aspartic acid Aspartate Transaminase (AST) can also reduce the level of steatosis (measured by ultrasound).
*Conclusion: Oral grape seed extract may have a positive effect on non-alcoholic fatty liver, but more large randomized controlled trials are still needed for further verification.
3. Beneficial for chronic kidney disease
Chronic kidney disease is a major health problem, and its prevalence is increasing worldwide, mainly defined as glomerular filtration rate of less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 for 3 consecutive months (with or without kidney damage), thus It irreversibly causes end-stage renal disease.
Regardless of any stage, possible complications of chronic kidney disease include drug toxicity, metabolic and endocrine disorders, anemia, bone loss, cardiovascular disease, and infection, weakness, and cognitive impairment.
The main risk factors for chronic kidney disease are age, gender, race, and ethnicity, family history, drug use, smoking, socioeconomic status, hypertension, and diabetes.
A randomized double-blind and placebo-controlled study (6 months, 33 patients with chronic kidney disease) pointed out that oral grape seed extract can not only increase glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and proteinuria, but also help increase Antioxidant status, improve inflammation index CRP, triglyceridemia, and fight against anemia and thrombocytopenia.
*Conclusion: Oral grape seed extract may have a positive effect on the improvement of chronic kidney disease, but it is limited to a small sample, and more research is still needed to prove it.
4. Improve menopause barriers
Menopause is a period of decreased ovarian hormone activity and changes in psychophysiological functions and social functions caused by reduced estrogen levels. About 85% of menopausal women have at least one menopausal symptom.
Early menopausal symptoms include hot flashes, sweating, sleep disturbances, psychological changes, and menstrual disorders. Later in the menopause, urogenital atrophic changes and related sexual dysfunction, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and musculoskeletal disorders may also occur.
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (an 8-week, 96 women aged 40 to 60 years with menopausal symptoms) pointed out that oral grape seed extract can help improve menopausal symptoms (including hot flashes, anxiety, and insomnia), Increase muscle mass and lower blood pressure (average 5 mm Hg).
*Conclusion: Grape seed extract can help improve the physical and psychological symptoms of menopause, increase muscle mass, and lower blood pressure, but it is limited by a small sample tree and has a short duration. More research is needed to corroborate it.
5. Reduce the adverse effects of chemotherapy or radiation therapy
Chemotherapy is an important part of many cancer treatments. It is considered to reduce the recurrence of cancer and improve the survival rate of patients. It is also one of the largest areas of drug development.
However, the essence of chemotherapy means that it damages cancer cells as well as healthy cells, resulting in side effects.
The most common side effects of patients during and after chemotherapy include nausea/vomiting, thrombocytopenia, oral ulcers, and fatigue.
A Systematic Review (including 41 in vitro and animal studies) pointed out that grape seed proanthocyanidins or grape seed extracts can help reduce the toxic effects of chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
In the study, Doxorubicin was the most common drug, followed by cisplatin, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil, idarubicin, cyclophosphamide.
*Conclusion: Grape seed extract may improve the cytotoxic effect of chemo-radiotherapy on normal cells or tissues, but more human studies are needed to confirm it.
Are there any side effects of grape seed extract?
The grape seed extract is considered safe when taken in moderation, but possible side effects include sore throat, headache, stomach pain, itchy scalp, dizziness, and nausea.
Safety Precautions
1. Do not use if you have been allergic to grape-related foods. It may cause allergic reactions. The possible symptoms are: swelling of the face or hands, swelling or tingling of the mouth or throat, chest tightness, difficulty breathing, urticaria, or rash. For symptoms, please seek medical assistance immediately.
2. Do not use for pregnant women, nursing mothers, or those with poor liver and kidney function (because the relevant safety is unknown).
3. Grape seed extract may have anticoagulant or blood-thinning effects, so if you take anticoagulants (warfarin, clopidogrel, aspirin), have poor blood clotting function, or do not use it for two weeks before the operation, you may increase the risk of bleeding.
4. Those who have been allergic to drugs or have any medical conditions, please confirm with the doctor before use to ensure safety.
Where to buy grape seed extract recommended by most people?
In recent years, food safety problems in various countries have exploded, and it is not healthy but black-hearted products that everyone spends on. Therefore, European and American products with relatively strict quality control have become popular products.
And iHerb.com is a large-scale medical cosmetics e-commerce company in the United States. It has a high satisfaction rate of 97% in the evaluation of Google customers. It provides global home delivery so that you can buy it without risking buying fakes through purchasing high-quality health products.
