Information On Grape-seed Extract

Grapes have been prized as food and medicine for thousands of years and were utilized by the ancient Egyptians and Greeks. Grape-seed extract comes from the seeds of grapes, usually obtained from winemakers. Grape seeds are nutritional powerhouses, say the experts at University of Maryland Medical Center, and may be used to treat a variety of health problems. Grape-seed extract can be found in tablet and capsule forms. You should consult a health care provider before using it for medicinal purposes.

Features

The chemicals found within grape-seed extract, called oligomeric proanthocyanidin complexes, or OPCs, are powerful antioxidants, according to UMMC. Antioxidants help destroy free radicals in your body. Free radicals damage DNA and can cause cell death. They contribute to aging and numerous health problems like cancer and heart disease. People who take grape-seed extract can substantially increase levels of antioxidants in the blood, say the experts at UMMC.

Identification

Along with OPCs, grape seeds have vitamin E, linoleic acid and flavonoids. Flavonoids in red wine can boost heart health by lowering "bad" LDL cholesterol, but there’s no clear evidence to support taking grape-seed extract to reduce heart disease, according to UMMC. It may be the wine’s alcohol, not the flavonoids, that are responsible for healthful effects, or it may be the combination of flavonoids and alcohol. Linoleic acid is an omega-6 fatty acid. Your body converts it into gamma-linolenic acid. GLA may reduce inflammation in your body, according to UMMC. Vitamin E has long been thought to help reduce risk of cancer and heart disease, but scientific evidence for these benefits remains controversial, reports Harvard Medical School.

Benefits

There’s good evidence that grape-seed extract can help if you suffer from edema or chronic venous insufficiency, advise the experts at UMMC. With chronic venous insufficiency, blood pools in the legs, which leads to swelling, pain, fatigue and visible veins. Edema—swelling that may be caused by an injury or surgery, for example—can be alleviated faster if you take grape-seed extract.

Potential

The National Cancer Institute is investigating whether grape-seed extract can be used to help prevent prostate and breast cancers. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine is studying grape-seed extract to see if it has protective effects for the brain or heart-health benefits. As of 2010, scientific evidence for these benefits as well as for taking grape-seed extract to improve appearance of aging skin was lacking, reports UMMC.

Considerations

The most common side effects from grape-seed extract are nausea, a dry and itchy scalp, and dizziness, reports NCCAM, which also advises that interactions between grape-seed extract and other supplements and medicines haven’t been carefully studied. It can increase bleeding and bruising risk when taken with blood-thinning medicines like aspirin or warfarin, according to “The Essential Herb-Drug-Vitamin Interaction Guide,” by George T. Grossberg and Barry Fox. This interaction is due to the OPCs in the grape seeds, according to UMMC.