How Does Grape Seed Extract Support Your Health?

Grapes are one of the most popular fruits, but many people overlook the most significant part of their health benefits — the seeds. How did humans discover the nutritional value of grape seeds? Humans have been drinking wine since grapes were planted, and although it was not initially known to the wine drinker, wine contains the phytonutrients found in the whole grape. During the fermentation process, the crushed grapes, grape seeds, stems, peels and juice (i.e. unfermented grape juice) are fermented in barrels for several weeks, and these compounds leach into the wine. This is where some of the benefits of wine come from. Can I just eat the seeds? The answer is no, and it’s not just the bitter taste. If you chew grape seeds sometimes, do you think your body can effectively absorb the whole grape seed? Some of the beneficial phytonutrients in grapes, however, are concentrated in grape seeds — grape seed extract is the answer.

The grape seeds used to make its extract usually come from wine manufacturers. Grape seed extract provides high concentrations of important phytonutrients in a form that is easier for the body to digest. It also contains only a small fraction of the total nutrients of the whole grape. Adding grapes to your diet provides you with healthy compounds such as vitamins C and K, copper, and various phytonutrients. So don’t stop eating grapes altogether, but consider ingesting grape seed extract instead. Grapeseed extract has been shown to have powerful antioxidant properties that help support normal, healthy inflammatory responses, and a growing number of studies have shown additional benefits of grapeseed extract in optimizing capillary strength.

Components of grapes seed extracts

Grapes contain a variety of phytonutrients. Maybe you’re familiar with resveratrol, which is found mainly in the skin of grapes. Researchers have investigated its possible use in treating cancer, heart disease, and other conditions. It has been shown to be a promising anticancer agent.  To make matters more complicated, different grape varieties, growing seasons and areas of origin can also cause inconsistent levels of these beneficial compounds.

Besides being a source of vitamin A, which is essential for the production of white blood cells and for the formation of new collagen, grape seed extract also contains procyanidins, which are antioxidants. The potency of a product will vary, but grape seed extract generally contains between 95 and 100 percent procyanidins. It is important to note that the number of procyanidins present in grape seed extract will determine its quality.

Depending on the type of grape, the seeds contain 5-8% polyphenols. These compounds include epicatechin, gallocatechin, catechin, and epigallocatechin. These polyphenols are natural compounds that protect our bodies from free radicals and promote healing. Grape seed’s polyphenols have a higher antioxidant activity than vitamin C. These compounds have also been found to have potent anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective properties. They have also been demonstrated to exhibit anti-mutagenic properties.

The flavonoids in the grapes are believed to be responsible for their healthful effects. The antioxidant properties of these substances destroy free radicals, which are harmful to cells. In addition, they can prevent the oxidation of fats in the body. This flavonoid chemical composition is most closely associated with grape seed extract’s overall benefits, such as cardiovascular health, supporting healthy inflammation and neutralizing free radicals. In addition, The skin of grapes is high in dietary fiber, which helps lower our risk of heart disease, cancer, and obesity. It is also rich in linolenic acid, which is an unsaturated fatty acid.