You may already be familiar with heart-healthy cooking oils such as canola and olive oil. Grapeseed oil, also referred to as grape oil, has gained popularity in recent years in the United States as a lesser-known, but equally heart-healthy, alternative cooking oil. It is often used as an alternative to olive oil, as it has a higher smoking point, so it can withstand higher cooking temperatures. Grapeseed oil is produced from the seeds of grapes that are typically leftover as a byproduct of the wine-making process.
Cholesterol
Grapeseed oil may help to lower unhealthy cholesterol levels, according to Samantha Heller, a clinical nutritionist from New York University Medical Center during a July 26, 2004 interview with CBS's Early Show. Additionally, a 1993 study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology on men and women with low HDL, or "good" cholesterol showed that study participants who ingested grapeseed oil every day in addition to a regular low-fat diet, experienced an increase in their HDL cholesterol levels and a decrease in LDL, or "bad" cholesterol.
Antioxidants
Grapeseed oil is reported to have a high content of the antioxidant compound proanthocyanidin, which may help to protect cells from damage by free radicals, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Free radicals are unstable molecules that may contribute to the formation of certain diseases such as cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, antioxidants are nutrients that may play a role in protecting the body from the damage incurred by free radicals, although further scientific research is needed to fully support this claim.
High in Vitamins
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, grapeseed oil is high in several important nutrients, including vitamin E, linoleic acid and flavonoids. Flavonoids have gained the attention of researchers in recent years due to their suspected effect on lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease, although further research is needed to support this claim, according to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. Vitamin E is a necessary nutrient that also acts as an antioxidant as well as being a component of proper immune system functioning, according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.
References
- "Cooking Oils That Are Good For You"; CBS News Early Show; Tatiana Morales; July 26, 2004
- "Grapeseed Oil: A Natural Agent Which Raises Serum HDL Levels"; Journal of the American College of Cardiology; David T. Nash et al; 1993
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Grape Seed
- National Cancer Institute: Antioxidants
- Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University: Flavonoids
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