Circulatory Problems and Grape Seed Extract

Grape seed extract, when taken in tablet or pill form, can help improve circulation and reduce the chances of heart disease. It is a good source of antioxidants.

Anti-Clotting Agent

• Grape seed extract is rich in polyphenols, a plant chemical that prevents platelet cells in the blood from bunching together inside of blood vessels. Platelets are the blood's natural clotting agent. In healthy people, platelets help stop bleeding by bunching together together at a wound and stopping the flow of blood long enough for the wound to heal. In unhealthy, plaque-covered blood vessels, platelets can bunch up inside a blood vessel, forming a dangerous clot which can either block the flow of blood or break a blood vessel and cause dangerous internal bleeding.

Grape Juice and Wine

• The polyphenols in grape seed extract are also found in red wine and grape juice, but neither of these liquids are an ideal source for the chemical. Juice has too much sugar to consume it in large quantities. Wine has too much alcohol. Regular consumption of large amounts of both these sources of polyphenols will have unwanted side effects, such as weight gain and liver disease.

Other Circulatory Benefits

• In the Feburary-March 2003 issue of "Mutation Research," Debasis Bagchi et al. stated that grape seed extract is a powerful source of antioxidants. Antioxidants are chemicals that are effective at removing free radicals, the byproducts that are created when the body uses oxygen to turn sugars into energy. The buildup of these free radicals can cause heart and circulatory disease. Bagchi's research claims that the antioxidants in grape seed extract are stronger those in than other popular sources of antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E. It helps reduce hardening of the arteries, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and poor circulation.

Combining with Grape Skin Extract

• In the December 2002 issue of "The Journal of Nutrition," Dr. Dhanansayan Shanmuganayagam et al. stated that grape seed extract is more effective in preventing the build up of platelets in blood vessels when it is taken in combination with grape skin extract.

Side effects

• According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, grape seed extract taken orally is safe to take for at least eight weeks. It can cause minor side effects, including headaches, dry and itchy scalp, dizziness and nausea. There has been no research to determine whether it will interact with medication or other supplements.