Grape Seed

Grape Seed Benefits

• Vitamin E is an antioxidant that is found naturally in grape seed. It is excellent for aiding in reproduction and in helping prevent cancer.
• Flavonoids are another antioxidant that is found in grape seed, but due to the slow absorption it is not considered to be beneficial as an antioxidant. However, flavonoids can help produce disease fighting enzymes and provide a healthy service that way.
• Linoleic acid is most commonly found in red meat, but it is also found in high concentrations in grape seed. Linoleic acid is an essential fatty acid that is not produced by the human body. However, it is important for your cells and therefore needs to be consumed from natural sources such as grapes or grape seed.
• OPC (or Oligomeric proanthocyanidin) is obtainable from grape seed and other plant sources. OPCs are bioflavonoids and are a very strong antioxidant. Antioxidants are one of the best weapons the body has against fighting free radicals and cancer causing cells.

Since grape seeds are so high in various antioxidant and disease fighting elements, the benefits of grade seed extract are numerous. Grape seed extract may aid with cancer, chronic venous insufficiency, edema, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. It is also believed to help improve diabetes, hemorrhoids, and night vision. Additionally, it is considered to have anti-aging benefits.

Grape Seed Side Effects

Grapes originated natively in Asia and were later imported to Europe and North America. Today grapes are consumed as a fruit, in a juice, or as a wine. Grape seed extract is also available as a capsule, a tablet, or as a liquid.

No harm can really come to anyone from eating grapes, although they are a choking hazard to small children. However, the grape seed has higher concentrations of everything and this can make it problematic for some people.

The biggest danger of grape seed extract is for people who are taking blood thinners. Grape seed is an anticoagulant naturally, which means it can thin your blood. If you are already taking medicinal blood thinners then this compounding effect can be dangerous. Be sure to talk to your doctor before taking grape seed extract, especially if you are taking any blood thinners or have a bleeding disorder.

Children also should not take grape seed extract since their bodies may not be able to process higher concentrations of the different elements. Grapes, however, are perfectly healthy provided your child is past the choking hazard stage. Grapes can be skinned and halved or quartered to reduce a choking risk.

Pregnant and nursing mothers should never take any herbal supplement, including grape seed, without discussing it with a doctor. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you are considering getting pregnant, be sure to discuss any natural remedies with your doctor.

Grape Seed Dosage

The recommended dosage for grape seed extract depends on the reason you are taking it and what you are trying to cure or prevent. If you are unsure of how much grape seed to take, consult with a health care professional.

To get some ideas of how much grape seed is needed to be effective, if you are suffering from chronic venous insufficiency, it is recommended that you take somewhere between 150mg and 300mg per day. People with edema may benefit from 200mg to 400mg per day up to 30 days. Under no circumstances should you take grape seed consistently for more than 12 weeks at a time.

If you are not trying to cure any health problem and are simply looking to boost your antioxidants to prevent cancer and other diseases, you may benefit from taking up to 150mg at a time, up to three times a day. Again, it is important not to continue to take the extract for more than 12 weeks at a time.

When choosing a grape seed supplement, look for versions that contain almost 100% in OPCs. The higher the OPCs, the more health benefits you can obtain from grape seed. Find and compare your options by using the supplement finder provided here, now!