A vast amount of research has been poured into exploring the therapeutic properties of grape seed extract (GSE). The supplements – created by removing, drying and pulverising the seeds of grapes – are a powerhouse of antioxidants. Several bodies of research have suggested the molecules may effectively disarm free radicals in the body, offering a wealth of benefits for the cardiovascular system.
It’s long been established that the antioxidant profile of GSE helps to tackle a combination of risk factors for heart disease, namely excess abdominal body weight and high blood cholesterol fats.
Several studies have shown that by offering favourable effects on the endothelial system, the antioxidants in grapes and might reduce arterial stiffness and lower blood pressure too.
In one month-long study conducted on 24 male and female patients diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, reductions in blood pressure were apparent within hours of ingesting GSE.
The patients were split up into three groups of eight, the first of which received a placebo, while the second and third received 150 milligrams and 300 milligrams of GSE respectively.
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All the participants’ blood pressure readings were automatically measured and recorded “for 12 hours after ingestion”, according to Science Daily.
The study lead’s researcher, Tissa Kappagoda, professor of cardiovascular medicine and director of the Preventive Cardiology program at UC Davis, said blood pressure reductions were apparent in the two groups taking the extract.
The researcher noted: “Participants in the two groups receiving GSE experienced an equal degree of reduced blood pressure.
“The average drop in diastolic pressure was eight millimetres.”
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Those taking the highest doses of GSE also saw healthy reductions in other key markers of cardiovascular disease.
What’s more, significant reductions in serum oxidised LDL cholesterol were observed in both groups taking the extract.
Oxidised LDL cholesterol represents an important precursor for atherosclerosis, which it causes through inflammatory mechanisms.
These findings have been echoed in several further studies spanning the last decade, including one of 29 adults published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2016.
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The study found that taking 300mg of GSE daily lowered systolic blood pressure by 5.6 percent and diastolic blood pressure by 4.7 percent after six weeks.
“Subjects with higher initial blood pressure experienced greater […] reduction; nearly double the effect size,” noted the authors.
What’s more, blood pressure measurements returned to their baseline levels within four weeks of discontinuing the GSE beverage.
A review of 16 studies including 810 people with high blood pressure or a risk of hypertension, made a similar discovery.
Researchers found that taking between 100 to 2,000mg of GSE daily had the most pronounced effects on people aged under 50 with obesity or a metabolic disorder.
GSE is commercially available as a dietary supplement in liquid form, tablet or capsules.
Though these supplements are generally considered safe, they can produce several undesirable side effects like headache, itchy scalp, dizziness and nausea.
“If you have a bleeding disorder or high blood pressure, talk to your doctor before you start using grape seed extract,” explains WebMD.
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