Grapes have been used by humans for thousands
of years. They were around during the Bronze age. The Greek poet, Homer, who
lived about 700 BC, talked of wine made from grapes. The fruit is mentioned in
the Bible, and Egyptian tombs and relics have representations of grapes on them.
People have used grapes for purposes other
than eating or making into wine or juice. European folk healers, hundreds of
years ago, made an ointment from the sap in the stems to cure skin and eye
diseases. Leaves were astringent and hemostatic, that is, they were used to stop
bleeding, inflammation, and pain, such as the kind brought on by hemorrhoids.
Unripe grapes treated sore throats; dried grapes, or raisins, treated
consumption, constipation, and thirst. The round, ripe, sweet grapes, however,
had the most uses of all, used to treat cancer, cholera, smallpox, nausea, eye
infections, and skin, kidney, and liver diseases.
Plant Description
Grapes are native to Asia near the Caspian Sea, but were brought to North
America and Europe: European settlers brought grapes to North America in the
1600s. This plant's climbing vine has large, jagged leaves, and its stem bark
tends to peel. The grapes themselves may be green, red, or purple.
What's It Made Of?
Today we eat grapes or raisins because we like them, and we drink wine and
grape juice for the same reason. But in 1970, a biochemist in France isolated
from grape seed a material that improves blood circulation—oligomeric
proanthocyandin (OPC). It also reduces swelling, and
may even prevent heart disease. OPC is one of the substances in red grape juice
and red wine that has been shown to have some protective properties against
heart disease. Because of its OPCs, grapes are now harvested not only for the
food and drink products we are familiar with, but also as a source of these
therapeutically active ingredients.
First and foremost, OPCs are antioxidants, which help the body to handle
assaults that could eventually cause disease, such as cigarette smoke and
environmental chemicals. They are different from a broader category of stress
protectors called adaptogens, which also protect you from chemical or physical
substances. Antioxidants or adaptogens also protect you from physical and mental
exhaustion and help you recover after an illness. Both antioxidants and
adaptogens may help us avoid at least two of the big killers today:
cardiovascular disease and cancer.
OPC's antioxidant actions may help prevent cardiovascular disease. Some
studies suggest that it might reduce the formation of plaques in the arteries,
and may help regenerate damaged tissue lining the arteries. If you have a family
history of cardiovascular disease, you may want to look into taking OPCs.
Chronic venous insufficiency is another reason to take OPCs, as is vision
disturbance from diabetic nephropathy or macular degeneration, for example.
These uses of OPC have been supported in clinical studies.
Future uses may include the treatment of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and to
stop swelling in the face after plastic surgery. OPC has helped reduce the
breast discomfort and aching joints and legs that sometimes occur with PMS, and
has decreased recovery time from plastic surgery. Antitumor actions have also
been shown.
Available Forms
Grape seed extracts are available in fluid extract form or in capsules and
tablets. Look for products that are standardized to 95 percent OPC content.
How to Take It
Results from clinical trials suggest that grape seed OPCs may help vision
difficulty as well as chronic venous insufficiency and its symptoms. Lymphedema,
varicose veins, cancer, premenstrual syndrome, dental caries, and circulatory
disorders are some of the many other types of conditions that OPC treatment
might help with.
As a preventative for arterial plaques, vision disorders, or other
conditions, take 50 mg standardized extract per day. For specific illness, 150
to 300 mg per day is recommended, but consult your health care provider and
don't self-prescribe.
Precautions
There are currently no precautions for grape seed OPC use. It is considered
very safe.
Possible Interactions
Grape seed extract may enhance the effects of anti-inflammatory medications
and cholesterol-lowering medications. Therefore, consult with your health care
professional before taking grape seed extract along with such medications.
There have been reports of a possible decrease in the effectiveness of
antibiotics, specifically tetracycline and tetracycline-derivatives like
doxycycline. If you are currently taking any of these antibiotics, you should
not use this herb.
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Copyright © 2000 Integrative Medicine
Communications
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