Grape Seed Extract
(OPC’s, Oligomeric proanthocyanidins)

Protect Yourself From Cancer, Heart Disease, and Diabetes with One of Nature’s Most Potent Antioxidants

Oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPC’s), found in many plants but primarily in grape seed extract and pine bark, is a potent antioxidant with 50 times more antioxidant power than vitamin E and 20 times more than vitamin C. 2,3,19 Grape Seed Extract has more of the active ingredient, proanthocyanidins, than products extracted from pine bark.1

Studies performed over the last 25 years have demonstrated that OPC’s exert the following effects.

Grape Seed Extract (OPC’s) may prevent heart disease through a variety of mechanisms including :

• potent antioxidant effects 5-14
• vaso-relaxant effects (relaxes blood vessels) 13,15-16, 26
• decreasing platelet “stickiness” 17-18
• protects again myocardial reperfusion injury 19
• limits LDL oxidation 8, 20-25
• improves microcirculation 13, 27-28
• anti-inflammatory effects 11, 29-31
• strengthens blood vessels (useful in chronic venous insufficiency) 32-37

Grape Seed Extract (OPC’s) may be useful in both cancer prevention and treatment because of its antioxidant effects

• help prevent cancerous cellular changes (5-14)
• anti-carcinogenic and chemoprotective effects (10,14,19, 38)
• inducing apoptosis in cancer cells (cell death) (39-41,58)
• decreasing toxicity of many cancer drugs (10,19, 42-47)
•  potentiates (increases) the effect of some cancer drugs while decreasing toxicity (44, 47-49)

Because OPC’s help strengthen collagen (50-54) which may increase elasticity of skin, muscles, tendons and ligaments many people take grape seed extract as part of their skin rejuvenation program.

Grape Seed Extract has anti-histamine properties (it stabilizes the release of histamine from mast cells). (55-57) Grape seed extract can be used like an antihistamine but without any of the typical drug-antihistamine side effects such as drowsiness.

Because of its many actions, Grape seed extract (OPC’s) may also be useful for:

• arthritis (anti-inflammatory and collagen strengthening)
• respiratory allergies (antihistamine)
• food allergies (antihistamine)
• ADHD (many cases are allergy-related)
• longevity and rejuvenation programs (blood viscosity and collagen-strengthening effects)

Suggested Dose: 50 to 100 mg grape seed extract, 2-3 times per day with meals.

NOTE: Grape seed extract is an ingredient in Maxi Greens, a complete “herbal daily” formula. If you are taking Maxi Greens with its synergistic blend of herbs including grape seed extract, you may not need to take additional grape seed extract unless you have a specific condition which warrants higher doses.

Grape Seed Extract 100 mg

Each one (1) Capsule contains:

Grape seed extract 100 mg
Grape skin extract 100 mg

Product # 127  (90 Caps) $32.95

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References

1.) SUMMARY OF DATA FOR CHEMICAL SELECTION
Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins from Grape Seeds and Pine Bark. National Institutes of Health, 2000.http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/htdocs/Chem_Background/ExSumPdf/GrapeSeeds_PineBark.pdf
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37.) Koch R. Comparative study of Venostasin and Pycnogenol in chronic venous insufficiency. Phytother Res. 2002 Mar;16 Suppl 1:S1-5.
38.) Buz’Zard AR, Lau BH.Pycnogenol reduces talc-induced neoplastic transformation in human ovarian cell cultures. Phytother Res. 2007 Jun;21(6):579-86.
39.) Engelbrecht AM, Mattheyse M, Ellis B, Loos B, Thomas M, Smith R, Peters S, Smith C, Myburgh K. Proanthocyanidin from grape seeds inactivates the PI3-kinase/PKB pathway and induces apoptosis in a colon cancer cell line. Cancer Lett. 2007 Dec 8;258(1):144-53. Epub 2007 Oct 17.
40.) Hu H, Qin YM. Grape seed proanthocyanidin extract induced mitochondria-associated apoptosis in human acute myeloid leukaemia 14.3D10 cells. Chin Med J (Engl). 2006 Mar 5;119(5):417-21.
41.) Kaur M, Agarwal R, Agarwal C. Grape seed extract induces anoikis and caspase-mediated apoptosis in human prostate carcinoma LNCaP cells:possible role of ataxia telangiectasia mutated-p53 activation. Mol Cancer Ther. 2006 May;5(5):1265-74.
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44.) Zhang XY, Li WG, Wu YJ, Bai DC, Liu NF. Proanthocyanidin from grape seeds enhances doxorubicin-induced antitumor effect and reverses drug resistance in doxorubicin-resistant K562/DOX cells. Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 2005 Mar;83(3):309-18.
45.)  Joshi SS, Kuszynski CA, Bagchi D.The cellular and molecular basis of health benefits of grape seed proanthocyanidin extract. Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 2001 Jun;2(2):187-200.
46.) Joshi SS, Kuszynski CA, Benner EJ, Bagchi M, Bagchi D. Amelioration of the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapeutic agents by grape seed proanthocyanidin extract. Antioxid Redox Signal. 1999 Winter;1(4):563-70.
47.) Joshi SS, Kuszynski CA, Bagchi M, Bagchi D. Chemopreventive effects of grape seed proanthocyanidin extract on Chang liver cells.Toxicology. 2000 Nov 30;155(1-3):83-90.
48.) Sharma G, Tyagi AK, Singh RP, Chan DC, Agarwal R.Synergistic anti-cancer effects of grape seed extract and conventional cytotoxic agent doxorubicin against human breast carcinoma cells.Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2004 May;85(1):1-12.
49.) Zhang XY, Li WG, Wu YJ, Zheng TZ, Li W, Qu SY, Liu NF.Proanthocyanidin from grape seeds potentiates anti-tumor activity of doxorubicin via immunomodulatory mechanism.Int Immunopharmacol. 2005 Jul;5(7-8):1247-57. Epub 2005 Apr 7.
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54.) Cho HS, Lee MH, Lee JW, No KO, Park SK, Lee HS, Kang S, Cho WG, Park HJ, Oh KW, Hong JT.Anti-wrinkling effects of the mixture of vitamin C, vitamin E, pycnogenol and evening primrose oil, and molecular mechanisms on hairless mouse skin caused by chronic ultraviolet B irradiation. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed. 2007 Oct;23(5):155-62.
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57.) Sharma SC, Sharma S, Gulati OP. Pycnogenol inhibits the release of histamine from mast cells. Phytother Res. 2003 Jan;17(1):66-9.
58.) Agarwal C, Singh RP, Agarwal R. Grape seed extract induces apoptotic death of human prostate carcinoma DU145 cells via caspases activation accompanied by dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential and cytochrome c release. Carcinogenesis. 2002 Nov;23(11):1869-76.