Grapes have been cultivated and used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. Commonly made into wine, grapes and grape products have been used to treat everything from skin irritation to nausea, from smallpox to cholera. This is due to the antioxidant-rich nutrients in the seeds, and it's for that reason grapes, particularly grape seeds, may even help to lower blood pressure.
Grape Seed Flavonoids
Grape seed is naturally rich in antioxidants. It has linoleic acid as well as vitamin E. The more powerful agents that grape seeds contain are flavonoids with antioxidant properties called oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs). They are also referred to as procyanidins or procyanidins. These are strong fighters against free radicals -- potentially harmful compounds that naturally increase in the human body as we age. Free radicals can disrupt and injure your DNA, ultimately leading to health problems such as certain cancers or death. Antioxidants are nature's way of combating these otherwise damaging compounds. As well as neutralizing free radicals, antioxidants also possess anti-inflammatory abilities, which may help combat certain health issues such as heart disease.
Blood Pressure Study
In 2007, "The Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology" announced the conclusions of an experiment regarding grape seed extract and high blood pressure. For eight weeks, pre-hypertension participants were given 300 mg daily of grape seed extract. Systolic blood pressure readings dropped drastically in the group, indicating grape seed extract could possibly be used as a means of lowering blood pressure.
Grape Seed and Your Heart
Mayo Clinic explains "both red wine and grape juice also contain antioxidants called flavonoids, which have been shown to increase your high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or "good") cholesterol." Because of the abundance of antioxidants in the grape seeds, as well as the skin, purple or red grapes and grape products may lower your chances of heart disease. They also help to reduce the size of your blood vessels and soothe them, which can result in better blood flow.
Consuming Grape Seed
Drinking red wine can prove beneficial in some ways, particularly with the heart, due to antioxidants. However, eating grapes or drinking grape juice may provide the same beneficial attributes as red wine without the downsides of alcohol. You can also find grape seed with green tea, which is yet another way to get a generous amount of antioxidants, as both grapes and herbal tea are loaded with them. If you aren't too fond of the taste of grapes, grape seed extract is available in pill and oil forms.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Grape Seed
- "The Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology"; Effect of a Grape Seed Extract on Blood Pressure in Subjects with Pre-hypertension; Bob Lu and Melissa Robinson; April, 2007
- MayoClinic.com: Does Grape Juice Offer the Same Heart Benefits as Red Wine?
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