(GreenMedInfo.com) New data shows that grape seed extract may be a safe and effective alternative to pharmaceuticals for lowering blood pressure.
Introduction:
A simple dietary supplement has once again been shown to produce valuable health benefits. Specifically, a new study published in the British Journal of Nutrition has validated the effects of a previous study showing grape seed extract can effectively and safely normalize blood pressure in many subjects. This new study is very good news for the 74 million Americans with high blood pressure as it offers a safe alternative to the use of drugs to lower blood pressure, all of which carry a significant risk for side effect.
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Background Data:
Grape seed extract contains flavonoid compounds known as procyanidolic oligomers (PCOs) or oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs). Studies have shown that supplementation with PCOs for six weeks at daily dosages of 100 to 300 mg considerably improves the serum (blood) total antioxidant capacity and oxygen radical absorbance capacity score (ORAC). Grape seed and/or pine bark extract have shown significant benefits in clinical studies including in the following health conditions:
- Asthma
- Atherosclerosis, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes
- Attention Deficit Disorder
- High blood pressure
- Male infertility
- Menopausal symptoms
- Osteoarthritis
- Periodontal disease
- Varicose veins, venous insufficiency and capillary fragility
- Visual function, retinopathy and macular degeneration
Blood pressure refers to the resistance produced each time the heart beats and sends blood coursing through the arteries. The peak reading of the pressure exerted by this contraction is the systolic pressure. Between beats the heart relaxes, and blood pressure drops. The lowest reading is referred to as the diastolic pressure. A normal blood pressure reading for an adult is: 120 (systolic) / 80 (diastolic). High blood pressure (BP) readings can be divided into the following levels:
- Prehypertension (120-139/80-89)
- Borderline (120-160/90-94)
- Mild (140-160/95-104)
- Moderate 140-180/105-114)
- Severe (160+/115+)
New Data:
In a previous double-blind study, grape seed extract (GSE) was shown to normalize high blood pressure in patients with initial blood pressure in the range of 150/95 mm Hg when combined with standard dietary guidelines. To follow up these impressive results, researchers from the Center for Nutrition Research at the Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of California, Davis, CA, sought to evaluate the ability of GSE to lower blood pressure (BP) in individuals with pre-hypertension (120-139/80-89 mm Hg).
