Grape seed extract - the mere seeds of grapes, protects against cancer!
Grape seed extract (GSE) is a dietary supplement extracted from bitter-tasting grape seeds, followed by drying and grinding them.
Grape seed extracts are abundant in antioxidants – the substance, which protects the cells against the damage of free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules, whose high concentration can cause multiple diseases like cancer, heart disorders, diabetes, diseases related to aging, and more.
Because of the high quantity of antioxidants, grape seed extract protects the human body against:
- Multiple diseases
- Tissue damage
- Inflammation (1)
Quick Cue: Grape seed extract and grapefruit seed extract are both the industry derivatives and advertised as supplements.
As a dietary supplement, grape seed extract is available in tablets, capsules, and liquid forms. The quantity of GSE in these supplements typically amounts from 50 to 200mg. Hydrient contains 200mg of grape seed extract.
To give you more information on the benefits and Source of GSE, we have curated this guide. Here are nine science-backed benefits of grape seed extract that you should know about.
Top 9 Reasons Grape Seed Extract is Beneficial for Your Health
- Reduces Blood Pressure
- Heals Wounds
- Strengthens Bones
- Improves Blood Flow
- Inhibits Infectious Activities
- Safeguards against Skin Cancer
- Improves Functionality of Kidney
- Protects Liver
- Guards Brain as Aging Comes Along
- Reduces Blood Pressure
Many researchers have found good results of GSE in controlling high blood pressure.
A panel of researchers reviewed 16 different experiments, conducted on 810 people with high blood pressure. The review concluded that consuming 100 – 2,000mg of GSE every day remarkably reduced the systolic (the top) and diastolic (the bottom) blood pressure by an average of 6.08 mmHg and 2.8 mmHg, respectively.
In addition to this, promising results of GSE were shown by obese people under the age of 50. The most remarkable results were recorded from the trial of daily intake of 100 – 800mg of GSE for 8-16 weeks instead of taking a single shot of 800 mg or more (2).
Yet another study was performed on 29 individuals with high blood pressure. The results obtained after 6 weeks showed that consuming 300mg of grape seed extract daily lowered the systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 5.6% and 4.7% (3).
- Heals Wounds
GSE has the properties of granting speedy recovery to wounds. In a research published in Free Radical Biology and Medicine, researchers applied grape seed extract onto the wound on mice’s back. They found that the mice healed quickly.
According to the researchers, the GSE upsurged the production of vascular endothelial growth factors. It is a substance crucial in the wound healing process.
Human studies have further supported the effectiveness of GSE. 35 healthy adults who had undergone minor surgeries were given a 2% grape seed extract cream and a placebo. The GSE cream showed promising results because, after 8 days of taking GSE cream, patients were healed completely. As for the placebo, it took 14 days to heal (4).
- Strengthens Bones
Animal testing has brought about some interesting findings about grape seed extract. A study shows that adding GSE to a low, standard, or high quantity of calcium diet can strengthen bones, and increase mineral content in the body (5), (6), (7).
Adding flavonoid (antioxidants) to the list of your supplement regimen can effectively boost collagen production. GSE, being a rich source of flavonoids, might also facilitate improving your bone strength.
More so, GSE is also known to suppress bone decay in inflammatory autoimmune arthritis. This condition causes severe swelling and degeneration of joints and bone (8).
However, further research is needed to support these findings in humans.
- Improves Blood Flow
According to some studies, grape seed extract is also involved in improving blood flow.
In a study performed over 8 weeks, researchers studied 17 healthy postmenopausal women (those who have not menstruated for an entire year), intaking 400 mg GSE. Investigations found the blood-thinning effects in all of them, which potentially reduced the elevated risk of blood clotting (9).
In another study, 8 healthy women were taken as specimens – the models for experiments – for analyzing the effects of a single shot of 400mg proanthocyanidin from GSE. A 6-hour of sitting immediately followed it. The results showed improved blood flow through a decline in the swelling of legs by 70% compared to no consumption of grape seed extract.
Interesting Fact: The circulation of blood is proportionate to the reduction in swelling. The better the blood flow, the lesser the swelling.
In the same research, another set of 8 healthy women displayed great results after consuming GSE. Women taking 133mg dose of proanthocyanidin from GSE for two weeks experienced a reduction in leg swelling by 40%, immediately followed by the same protocol of 6-hour sitting (10).
- Inhibits Infectious Activities
Grape seed extract plays a massive role in inhibiting the growth of bacteria and fungi.
Researchers have revealed that GSE inhibits the growth of Campylobacter and E. coli. Both of these bacteria have a great potential to cause food poisoning (11), (12).
Another research conducted in Italy analyzed the ability of GSE to fight off Candida (13). Candida is a yeast-like fungus, which poses a threat to cause thrush, a strange white rash.
The findings of this study highlighted a significant inhibition of Candida albicans (the culprit fungus of thrush) 5 days after the beginning of the experiment. These results demonstrated that grape seed extracts could be used to treat vaginal candidiasis – a vaginal thrush.
- Safeguards against Skin Cancer
As mentioned above, grape seed extract contains proanthocyanidins (pro-anth-o-cya-ni-din) that may suppress the development of cancerous cells- the cancer-causing cells.
A study found that grape seeds can significantly lower the risk of skin cancer. For this, a research team experimented on hairless mice. They tested mice with the grape seed proanthocyanidins extract (GSPE), which slowed the formation of skin tumors (14).
Furthermore, a review of 41 animal testing revealed that GSE or proanthocyanidins decreased the prevalence of cancer-induced toxicity (15).
- Improves Functionality of Kidney
Animal studies have concluded that grape seed extract can remarkably reduce the chances of kidney damage and improve its functions by:
- Lowering the oxidative stress, the imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants in your body
- Lowering the risk of inflammatory damage – damage is done through swelling (16).
For a better understanding of it, researchers took two groups of people with chronic renal failure: incurable, long-term kidney failure.
23 patients in one group were given 2g of GSE daily for 6 months vs. another group of patients, who were given a placebo pill. The results for the former group are as follows:
Proteins in their urine decreased by 3%, and the process of kidney filtration was improved by 9%.
It means that the kidneys of the patient in the GSE test group filtered urine better than those in the placebo group (17).
- Protects Liver
Our liver spends most of the time detoxifying harmful substances, such as drugs, pollutants, viral infections, and alcohol, etc., to which we expose it. Therefore, its proper functioning is no less significant than any other organ.
GSE has a protective effect on your liver. Through test-tube experiments, scientists realized that GSE lessened the inflammation, and safeguarded the body against the damage of free radicals (18), (19), (20).
ALT, an enzyme in the liver, upsurges when the liver suffers enough damage (21). To check the GSE's role in reducing liver toxicity, researchers assessed 15 people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, storage of extra fats in the liver, (hence the high ALT level) by giving them GSE for 3 months. Liver enzymes were monitored at regular intervals. The findings obtained were put in comparison with the daily consumption of 2g vitamin C.
After the said period, the former group with GSE demonstrated a 46% decline in ALT, which means their liver had endured less toxicity. In contrast, the vitamin C group showed no significant changes (21).
- Guards Brain as Aging Comes Along
GSE may also reduce or delay the onset of neurodegenerative disease. It is a type of disease in which cells of the nervous system either stop working or die – Alzheimer’s disease, for instance (22)
Fun Fact: GSE prevents the degenerative characteristics from coming into play, as in memory loss, and improves cognitive status (22), (23).
Cognitive status is a person’s mental process of acquiring knowledge or understanding through experience, thoughts, and senses.
12-week research on 111 healthy elderly adults found that the daily intake of 150mg of GSE improved their attention, language, and memories (24).
GSE is relatively abundant in proanthocyanidins. Many researchers have bought into the idea that it has the potential to prevent cognitive decline (memory loss.
One study indicated GSE as “a neuroprotectant in the hippocampus and in preventing cognitive loss with aging” (25).
How to Maintain a Good Level of GSE in Your Body?
You can get a good amount of GSE through grapes or supplements. Besides grapes, there is no other food reservoir of the bitter, but tremendously beneficial seeds.
Supplement Intake
Suggested Daily Intake: A dose between 100-300 mg per day has been prescribed by some Europeans. Some studies have also used the same quantity for conducting experiments.
Our supplement, Hydrient, is a blend of many nutrients, e.g., GSE along with vitamin A, C, D3, etc., to name a few. This multi-nutrient electrolyte powder contains 200mg of GSE, which is the safe dosage required by your body.
Bottom Line
GSE is not a replacement for a healthy diet. Rather, it is a supplement to live a healthy lifestyle.
By intaking GSE through Hydrient supplement, you will reap the benefits of enjoying a healthier heart, better kidney, and liver functions, and long-lasting memory. From fighting off infections to prevention from developing cancer, you name it and Hydrient will have you covered.
Our team actively addresses your concerns, so don’t hesitate to contact us at (insert ph) if you have any queries. Or visit our website (insert link) for more information.
References
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/grape-seed-extract-benefits
https://www.webmd.com/diet/grape-seed-extract
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/263332
