Grape Seed Extract Reduces Blood Pressure

Grape Seed Extract Reduces Blood Pressure

MADERA, Calif.Consumption of grape seed extract lowers bloodpressure, according to results of an unpublished in vivo human study conductedat University of California, Davis, School of Medicine.

The one-month study was done on 24 male and female patients diagnosed withmetabolic syndrome, with symptoms including elevated blood pressure, excessabdominal body weight, high blood cholesterol fats and high blood sugar. Thepatients were randomized to receive 150 mg/d grape seed extract (fromPolyphenolics [www.polyphenolics.com], a division of Constellation Wine US;n=8), 300 mg/d of the extract (n=8) or placebo (n=8). Researchers measured participants blood pressure for 12 hours subsequentto ingestion of the treatments. Individuals given grape seed extract experiencedreductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and serum oxidizedlow-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.

Participants in the two groups receiving grape seed extract experienced anequal degree of reduced blood pressure, said C. Tissa Kappagoda, M.D., MBBS,Ph.D., one of the researchers. The average drop in systolic pressure was 12mm. The average drop in diastolic pressure was 8 mm. [In addition,] generally,the higher their initial oxidized LDL level was, the greater the drop by the endof the study.