Resveratrol is a potent natural antioxidant found in the skins and other plant materials of red grapes. Scientists believe the resveratrol in red wine accounts for much of the health benefits of the beverage when consumed in moderation, according to MayoClinic.com. Supplements that combine grape seed extract and resveratrol offer a blend of antioxidant-rich phytochemicals with a wide array of health benefits. Consult your doctor before self-treating with this or any other supplement.
Cardioprotective Properties
In a review of the scientific literature, Australian nutrition researchers Wayne R. Leifert and Mahinda Y. Abeywardena found strong evidence that grape polyphenols, including resveratrol, anthocyanins, flavonoids and phenolic acids, have significant heart-healthy benefits. These compounds, present in high concentration in grape seed extract with resveratrol, are rich in antioxidant properties, thus reducing the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins -- "bad" cholesterol -- and inhibiting platelet aggregation, the formation of clots. In an article in the November 2008 issue of "Nutrition Research," Leifert and Abeywardena conclude that strong evidence exists that grape extracts can play a significant role in preventing chronic degenerative diseases, such as cardiovascular disease.
Enteric Viruses
In-vitro testing at the University of Tennessee's Department of Food Science and Technology produced strong evidence that the phenolic compounds in grape seed extract inhibited the growth and spread of three enteric viruses as well as the hepatitis A virus. Researchers added grape seed extract in varying concentrations to laboratory vessels containing strains of feline calicivirus, murine norovirus, bacteriophage MS2 and the HM175 strain of hepatitis A. After a series of three successive treatments, scientists found that grape seed extract significantly reduced the infectiousness of these viruses. Reporting their findings in the June 2011 issue of "Applied and Environmental Microbiology," researchers said their tests show that grape seed extract shows promise as "an inexpensive novel natural alternative to reduce viral contamination and enhance food safety."
Anti-Cancer Properties
Colorado State University researchers conducted in-vitro and in-vivo testing to determine whether resveratrol increased the chemoprotective properties of grape seed extract against colon cancer. Individually, both grape seed extract and resveratrol exert anti-cancer properties at high concentrations, but researchers wanted to see if the two in combination and at lower concentrations might exert even more potent anticarcinogenic effects. In an article in the June 2011 issue of "Frontiers in Bioscience," scientists reported that the combination was significantly more effective than either compound used by itself.
Hypotensive Properties
Metabolic syndrome is a combination of disorders that collectively increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Hypertension is one of the conditions that is characteristic of the syndrome. Researchers at the University of California Davis divided a group of test subjects that had been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome into three similarly sized groups. One group received placebo, the second got 150 mg of grape seed extract daily and the third received 300 mg of grape seed extract. After a four-week test period, those receiving grape seed extract showed significantly greater reductions in blood pressure readings than those who got placebo. In an article in the December 2009 issue of "Metabolism," researchers said their findings suggest that grape seed extract could be an effective weapon in the fight against metabolic syndrome.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Heart Disease: Red Wine and Resveratrol: Good for Your Heart?; March 2011
- "Nutrition Research"; Cardioprotective Actions of Grape Polyphenols; Wayne R. Leifert et al.; November 2008
- "Applied and Environmental Microbiology"; Grape Seed Extract for Control of Enteric Viruses; Xiaowei Su, et al.; June 2011
- "Frontiers in Bioscience"; Resveratrol Potentiates Grape Seed Extract Induced Human Colon Cancer Cell Apoptosis; S. Radhakrishnan, et al.; June 2011
- "Metabolism"; Effect of Grape Seed Extract on Blood Pressure in Subjects With the Metabolic Syndrome; Brahmesh Sivaprakasapillai et al.; December 2009
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