
Grape Seed: The Most Powerful Antioxidant?
Antioxidants have been given so much attention
and focus of late that everyone cannot help being
aware of the health benefits derived from these
antioxidants. The health and scientific communities
are constantly making new discoveries and work
hard at raising awareness on antioxidants and their
health benefits.
Studies show that there are many different kinds
of antioxidants. Every antioxidant has a different
potency from the others and each one also has a
different action from any of the other antioxidants.
Some antioxidants help in increasing metabolism
of fat while others work by helping to combat
cancer. Scientists have been trying to ascertain
which antioxidant is the most powerful among the
various ones that are provided to us by nature.
The French have an interesting title for the antioxidant that is considered most powerful of all. They call
it “Gift of the grape”. Time and again the question has been raised about what is the substance present
in grapes that enable them to have such powerful antioxidant properties? What secret ingredient did
grapes contain? Also why would these antioxidants be considered as the most powerful of all others?
This antioxidant that is considered most powerful, acts by strengthening weakened and fragile blood
vessels. In the process, circulatory problems also get reversed or prevented from occurring.
Grape seed extract, which is now considered to be the most powerful of all antioxidants, has twenty times
the power as compared to Vitamin C and fifty times more power as compared to Vitamin E. A VERIS
Research Summary, done in December 1996, suggested that heart attacks were reduced by as much as
77% on taking a daily dose of 400 IU of Vitamin E. Which means the most powerful antioxidant would
potentially offer much higher benefits. Grape seed extract appears to be a much stronger antioxidant as
compared to Vitamin E. Because of its powerful antioxidant properties, grape seed extract is emerging
as a natural alternative to be used in the treatment of patients who are suffering from heart disease.
It is the active ingredients that are present in grape seed that make it so powerful as an antioxidant.
These active ingredients assist the body in neutralizing free radicals. In the process free radicals are
prevented from causing any damage and any damage that has already been caused is repaired.
There are many active constituents in grape seed, which are very powerful antioxidants. One of these
ingredients is oligomeric procynanidin or OPC, which is very proficient in treating vascular diseases by
actually causing an increase in the structural strength of the blood vessels that have weakened.
The very first oligomeric procynanidin or OPC was
isolated in 1947 from the peanut’s red skin. This
discovery was made by Dr. Jack Masquelier, a
French chemist. In the ensuing years, red wine
also started being used as a source for OPC.
It has been proved beyond doubt that antioxidant
fruits are beneficial to health and well-being.
However all antioxidant fruits do not provide the
same level of health benefits. It could be said that
some antioxidant fruits are more equal than others.
They have a higher percentage of antioxidants
and offer more health benefits than some of the
other fruits. Some fruits may offer you nutrients
along with antioxidant properties, while other fruit
may have only vitamins.
The human body is designed to derive its energy
requirements by utilizing oxygen as well as nutrients as fuel. However oxygen, though it does provide a
lot of benefits and has a lot of positive effects, could possibly be accompanied by a negative ripple
effect. When oxygen is processed in the body by a process known as oxidation, there is a simultaneous
production of oxygen byproducts known as free radicals. The highly reactive free radicals may cause a
certain amount of damage to cells. The antioxidant substances that are present in antioxidant fruits work
by neutralizing these free radicals. In this process they are prevented from causing any damage.
With so much being said in recent times about antioxidants and health benefits they provide people are
becoming more and more aware of this radical substance. By now everybody knows that citrus fruits are
rich in Vitamin C and apples have a high beta-carotene content.
A daily diet that focuses on a high consumption of antioxidants helps give the body a stronger defense
mechanism in its fight against free radicals and consequently oxidative stress, which is damage that free
radicals cause.
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