Grape seed extract is an industrial derivative of whole
grape seeds. The
extract
An extract is a substance made by extracting a part of a raw material, often by using a solvent such as ethanol, oil or water. Extracts may be sold as tinctures, absolutes or in powder form.
The aromatic principles of many spices, nuts, h ...
contains
proanthocyanidins.
[ Grape seed extract quality is measured by the content of procyanidins which are formed from proanthocyanidins. Generally, grape seed extract quality contains 95% procyanidins, but potency varies among products. Eating foods or beverages high in procyanidin results in the sensation of the mouth puckering and dehydration, otherwise known as ]astringency
An astringent (sometimes called adstringent) is a chemical that shrinks or constricts body tissues. The word derives from the Latin ''adstringere'', which means "to bind fast". Calamine lotion, witch hazel, and yerba mansa, a Californian plant ...
, as felt after certain alcoholic drinks.
Extraction method
The properties of grape seed extract depend on the extraction process used to obtain it and how the grapes were grown. The classic method incorporates extraction with organic solvents such as acetone, acetonitrile
Acetonitrile, often abbreviated MeCN (methyl cyanide), is the chemical compound with the formula and structure . This colourless liquid is the simplest organic nitrile (hydrogen cyanide is a simpler nitrile, but the cyanide anion is not clas ...
, ethyl acetate, and methanol
Methanol (also called methyl alcohol and wood spirit, amongst other names) is an organic chemical and the simplest aliphatic alcohol, with the formula C H3 O H (a methyl group linked to a hydroxyl group, often abbreviated as MeOH). It is a ...
.principal component analysis
Principal component analysis (PCA) is a popular technique for analyzing large datasets containing a high number of dimensions/features per observation, increasing the interpretability of data while preserving the maximum amount of information, and ...
to ensure accurate composition.[
]
Research
A meta-analysis of 16 randomized controlled trials concluded that grape seed extract, in a dose of under 800 milligrams per day over at least 8 weeks, significantly lowered systolic
Systole ( ) is the part of the cardiac cycle during which some chambers of the heart contract after refilling with blood. The term originates, via New Latin, from Ancient Greek (''sustolē''), from (''sustéllein'' 'to contract'; from ''sun ...
and diastolic blood pressure, although the amounts were small (3–6 mmHg) and occurred only in obese people under age 50 with existing metabolic syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a clustering of at least three of the following five medical conditions: abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high serum triglycerides, and low serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL).
Metabolic syndrome ...
and hypertension
Hypertension (HTN or HT), also known as high blood pressure (HBP), is a long-term medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated. High blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms. Long-term high bl ...
. An earlier meta-analysis reported lower systolic blood pressure and heart rate, with no effect on blood lipids or C-reactive protein levels.[ Grape seed extract is sold in ]dietary supplement
A dietary supplement is a manufactured product intended to supplement one's diet by taking a pill, capsule, tablet, powder, or liquid. A supplement can provide nutrients either extracted from food sources or that are synthetic in order ...
form and claimed to have numerous health benefits, none of which is supported by sufficient medical evidence.[
]
See also
* List of unproven and disproven cancer treatments
This is a non-exhaustive list of alternative treatments that have been promoted to treat or prevent cancer in humans but which lack scientific and medical evidence of effectiveness. In many cases, there is scientific evidence that the alleged tr ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grape Seed Extract
Dietary supplements
Grape
Alternative cancer treatments