Grape seed extract, or GSE, is an oil obtained from the crushed red grapes used to make wine. While grapes are a popular food eaten whole or consumed in juice or wine form, people have used the fruit and its leaves for medicinal purposes since the era of ancient Greece, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Nonetheless, always consult a qualified healthcare professional before taking GSE.
Significance
Scientific studies have produced wide-ranging results regarding the effectiveness of GSE, which also goes by the botanical name Vitis vinifera. However, GSE advocates believe the extract can help your health in numerous ways. Claimed benefits include facilitating the healing of wounds, improving the condition of skin, preventing cancer and treating such health problems as diabetes complications, hardened arteries, high cholesterol, nerve damage and poor vision.
Active Ingredients
The active ingredients in GSE related to skin are chemical compounds called oligomeric proanthocyanidin complexes, or simply proanthocyanidins, which researchers extracted from grape seeds for the first time in 1970, according to the American Cancer Society. The organization also reports that various laboratory studies indicate proanthocyanidins have substantial antioxidant properties, in addition to possible beneficial effects on hormones. For example, some studies suggest proanthocyanidins may be able to decrease estrogen production, which could potentially help fight certain types of tumors affected by hormones, such as breast cancer.
Skin Health and GSE
Free radicals are a type of unstable molecular compound in the body that can harm the skin by damaging the collagen and elastin fibers it contains, according to the Rutgers Department of Food Science, which contributes to the appearance of aging skin. Free radicals are also capable of damaging DNA and killing cells, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Research shows proanthocyanidins, such as those derived from GSE, may have strong antioxidant effects capable of preventing free radicals from damaging cells, states the American Cancer Society.
Skin Wounds and GSE
Proanthocyanidins found in GSE may play a role in improving skin problems related to wounds too, according to scientist and surgery professor Chandan Sen, a co-author of the 2002 article "Dermal Wound Healing Properties of Redox-Active Grape Seed Proanthocyanidins" in "Free Radical Biology & Medicine." Sen and his colleagues applied proanthocyanidins derived from GSE to puncture wounds on the skin of mice. The results led the researchers to conclude that topical application of GSE-related proanthocyanidins enabled the wounds to not only heal faster, but also form denser and stronger new tissue at the site of the wound. Further research is necessary to support these findings, however.
Considerations
The proanthocyanidins in GSE occur as natural ingredients in other types of food as well, including chocolate, fruit, tea and vegetables, according to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Although GSE is most often available as an oral dietary supplement--such as capsules, tablets and tinctures, for example--Drugs.com cautions you should not combine different varieties at once. The University of Maryland Medical Center further warns that children should never take GSE, although eating whole grapes is nutritious and safe.
References
- American Cancer Society: Grapes
- Drugs.com: Grape Seed Medical Facts
- NCCAM Herbs at a Glance: Grape Seed Extract
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Grape Seed
- "Free Radical Biology & Medicine"; Dermal Wound Healing Properties of Redox-Active Grape Seed Proanthocyanidins; Savita Khanna, Mika Venojarvi, Sashwati Roy, Nidhi Sharma, Prashant Trikha, Debasis Bagchi, Manashi Bagchi and Chandan K. Sen; 2002
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