Regular consumption of grape seed extract helps improve blood sugar levels, heart health, and vision; but overdose of this extract may lead to various side effects as well. The following article provides information on the dosage and benefits of the extract.
Although people prefer seedless grapes, grape seeds offer a number of health benefits. People know about the use of grapes in wine making; but they generally don’t know that grapes and other parts of the grapevine have been in use, for both nutritive and medicinal purposes, since centuries. In Indian traditional medicine, grape seed extract was used to treat snakebites. It is a common home remedy to relieve constipation and it also works great for cases of sore throat.
Benefits
- The extract prevents cardiovascular diseases and edema.
- It prevents collection of platelets to form clots, which causes stroke.
- It prevents the growth of cancer cells in the breast, stomach, colon, prostate, skin, and lungs.
- It promotes wound healing.
- It is believed that the extract improves blood sugar levels and vision.
- It helps prevent tooth decay by preventing the growth of bacteria in the oral cavity.
- It increases the bone density and thus, reduces the chances of developing osteoporosis.
- Antioxidant-rich extract of grape seeds protect the skin from ultraviolet rays of the sun, and also prevents premature aging.
- Antioxidants help maintain the normal levels of blood pressure, by protecting the blood vessels from damage and also, by acting as a muscle relaxant.
As a herbal medicine, the extract is quite safe if taken in appropriate doses.
Dosage
Oral capsules or tablets containing 50 mg or 100 mg grape seed extract are available. The extract is also available in liquid form. You may add some drops of liquid extract to water or some other liquid and then consume it. However, this extract is not recommended for children. Pregnant women or breastfeeding mothers should not consume these supplements. Since there are various uses of these extract, the dosage may vary from person to person.
First of all, you should buy extract manufactured by a reliable brand. You should read the label carefully and check the ingredients and their proportions cautiously. Products which have been standardized to 40-80% proanthocyanidins, or an OPC content of not less than 95% are good for consumption. Adults may take 25-150 mg of such a standardized extract 1-3 times a day. It will protect them against free radical. For chronic venous insufficiency, a dosage of 150-300 mg grape seed extract (daily) is recommended. Taking the extract 200-400 mg daily, for 10-30 days is essential if you want to fight water retention or edema. At the recommended dosage, it is safe to consume the extract for up to 12 weeks.
Grape seed extract should not be confused with grapefruit seed extract. The aforementioned instructions about the dosage should be considered as guidelines only. The extract should be taken strictly under the guidance of a physician, who knows well about your overall health. Overuse or wrong way of consumption may trigger side effects and can interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications, leading to health complications. More research is needed to confirm the interactions between grape seed extract and medicines or other supplements. You may experience a few side effects of this extract, after taking it over an extended period, for example, an increase in the clotting time of blood, headache, a dry, itchy scalp, dizziness, or nausea. Since the benefits outweigh the side effects, grape seed extract is extremely popular among health conscious people.
