If there’s one tincture to have in your anti-aging arsenal, it’s grape seed extract. Grape seed extract has its aesthetic benefits, boosting collagen and elastin and subtracting years from your skin…and it’s life-saving merits, reducing hypertension and improving blood sugar. It’s an antioxidant wellspring that we encourage you to dip into!
GSE’s Nutritional Profile
What’s a primary cause of aging? You guessed it—free radicals! Free radicals are negatively charged molecules that scavenge the body, stealing electrons from healthy cells. These once-healthy cells can no longer function properly and die. Our DNA sustains irreparable damage from free radical oxidative stress…unless we have enough antioxidants to attack the free radicals before they attack our cells. Grape seed extract is a potent source of antioxidants that helps treat health problems related to free radical damage.
- Polyphenols defend against free radical damage and increase circulation.
- Flavonoids help lower LDL “bad” cholesterol levels.
- Oligomeric proanthocyanidins boost levels of antioxidants in the blood.
In fact, grape seed extract has 20 times the potency of vitamin C and is one of the few antioxidant sources that can cross the blood brain barrier, thereby helping to protect the brain and nerve tissue.
Grape seed extract has shown remarkable effectiveness in helping to treat hypertension. Studies have shown that the extract reduces both systolic and diastolic blood pressure numbers, helping to lower your risk for hypertension-related conditions such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and eye disease.
Other anti-aging benefits include:
- Provides anti-bacterial protection against infections
- Prevents plaque formation in the arteries
- Reduces the symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency (blood pooling in the legs that causes swelling, pain, and visible veins)
- Lower edema (swelling from surgery or an injury)
- Treats diabetes by regulating blood sugar levels
You might be wondering: Can I get the same benefit from drinking grape juice or my favorite red wine? These drinks contain the same nutritional profile, but at a much lower dose than grape seed extract. You’d need to eat one pound of grapes to equal the potency of a 50 mg grape seed extract supplement!
Supplementing with GSE
You can find grape seed extract in tablet, capsule, or liquid extract form. Look for a supplement standardized to 40-80% proanthocyanidins or with an OPC content of at least 95%. Dr. Oz recommends taking 150-300 mg of grape seed extract daily.
A word of caution: if you’re allergic to grapes, stay away from grape seed extract, as you’re sure to have the same reaction. Do not take if you are on blood thinners or cholesterol-lowering drugs, as grape seed extract may intervene with these prescription medications.
