Grape Seed Extract: A Growing Body Of Evidence For CVD Protection
Richard Maurer, ND

In a recent report at the 1st International Conference of Polyphenols and Health in Vichy, France last November, an extract of grape seed appears to reduce arterial lipid deposits by 57% compared to placebo. These reports are based upon animal studies performed at the University of Nutrition in Montpellier France.
Animal studies, by design, are not as definitive as human intervention trials, but in this case, they help us understand the mechanism of protection from CVD with grape products. From past research, we know that moderate consumption of red wine is linked to reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, attributed to the powerful antioxidant effect of the polyphenols in red wine. Red wine has been shown to reduce oxidation of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and therefore one of the risk factors for atherosclerosis.
Since the early studies that defined the “French paradox”, researchers have tried to understand what is so protective in the red wine. Apparently grape juice, while showing some protection, appears to have a weaker protective effect than wine. So what else beside the wine can be helpful?
Here lies red wine polyphenols, which include anthocyanins, OPCs and trans–resveratrol. In numerous studies, each of these phenolic compounds has demonstrated antioxidant and/or cardio-protective effects independently.
Obviously, it would be difficult to “encapsulate” the French Paradox into a single supplement, but the growing body of research on grape seed extracts continues to show promise.