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Are you aware of how grape seed extract can
lower your risks of a heart attack?

Why do you need grape seed extract?

Since the surgeon sawed open my chest and stitched in bypass to 6 of my favorite arteries 15 years ago I have always been on the lookout for the best heart supplements I can find to keep my heart in top condition.

Since oxidation of LDL cholesterol leads to clogging of the arteries of the heart (and brain) and grape seed extract dramatically reduces oxidation you can readily understand why it's near the top of my heart supplement list.

As its name implies, grape seed extract comes from the small seeds of red grapes--the same kind that are pressed to make wine.

The most valuable flavonoids in grape seeds have a long and difficult name and complete extremely difficult tasks. Their technical name is proanthocyanidins but understandably they are known as PCOs.

• PCO has been shown to be 50 times more potent than vitamin E.

• PCO has also been shown to prevent the stickiness of blood platelets that can lead to blood clots and strokes.

• Patients taking grape seed extract PCO have reported reduced blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

• Recent studies have shown that drinking wine has a protective effect against heart disease (considered the solution to the mystery of how the French population can indulge in a high-fat diet and have one of the world's lowest incidences of heart disease).

• Other studies have shown that many of the compounds in red wine are absorbed into the blood, become associated with LDL cholesterol and reduce the susceptibility of LDL to oxidation.

• A study published in "Circulation," the journal of the American Heart Association, showed that six glasses of grape juice were as effective as two glasses of wine in preventing heart disease. This study offers convincing evidence that PCO from grapes, rather than the alcohol, provide wine's protective benefits to the circulatory system.

Grape seed extract is rich in flavonoids, phytochemicals that have antioxidant properties many believe are more powerful than the old standbys vitamin C and vitamin E.

Beyond their antioxidant powers, PCOs are thought to improve blood circulation and help strengthen blood vessels. These actions benefit people with heart disease and cancer.

Health Benefits

• Prevent heart disease. The risk for heart attack and stroke may be reduced by grape seed extract's ability to prevent the plaque that can clog arteries.

• Deter cancer. The antioxidants in grape seed extract work hard at helping to control cellular damage, routinely hunting down and neutralizing mutations within the genetic material of cells that could lead to tumor formation.

• Minimize Fibromyalgia damage. Fibromyalgia is an elusive disorder associated with chronic muscle pain and stiffness. The antioxidant power of grape seed extract can help by protecting besieged muscle cells from damage.

• It's good for the eyes. People who stare at computer monitors for extended periods may benefit from taking this powerful heart supplement.

• The findings of one recent study indicate that 300 mg, taken daily, will ease eyestrain and enhance perception of contrast after just 60 days.

• Slow progression of macular degeneration and cataracts. This extract derived from grape seeds improves blood flow in the eye's tiny vessels, where certain eye diseases can cause blockages and impairments that result in vision damage.

• Disorders such as endometriosis, which are affected by the release of hormone-like substances called prostaglandins, may benefit from the extract's ability to block the release of this pain- and inflammation-causing chemical

• Fight skin diseases such as psoriasis and eczema. Certain components within the skin--collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid--participate in keeping it healthy. PCOs help keep these substances in good shape by blocking enzymes that might disrupt their chemical structure.

How Grape Seed Extract works
It penetrates cell membranes throughout the body with its antioxidant properties. It can even cross into the brain (traversing the blood-brain barrier) to protect brain cells from free-radical damage.

• Anti-inflammatory action.
  One of the first benefits of PCO observed by doctors as early as 1950 was its anti-inflammatory action. This is produced in part by the antioxidant effect, and by inhibiting the release and synthesis of certain compounds that promote inflammation, such as histamine, serine protease, prostaglandins, and leukotrienes.

• The PCO in grape seed extract selectively binds to the connective tissue of joints, preventing swelling, helping heal damaged tissue, and lessening pain.

A recent study of 38 smokers indicates that PCOs may function as effectively as aspirin in keeping blood cells from sticking together and forming blood clots (called an anticoagulant effect) And the PCOs posed no risk of the gastrointestinal irritation or bleeding generally associated with aspirin.

Interestingly, another preliminary study using grape seed oil (which is related to grape seed extract) indicates that using 2 tablespoons a day to replace other oils in cooking could increase HDL ("good") cholesterol by 14% and reduce triglycerides by 15% in just four weeks.

• More Benefits: This powerful nutrient has also been found to be useful for a number of other disorders such as diabetes, leg cramps and varicose veins, arm and leg numbness or tingling and even impotence.

• Special tip: --Always use a grape seed extract preparation that's standardized to contain 92% to 95% PCOs.

Safety and Drug Interactions
There are no known drug or nutrient interactions associated with the use of grape seed extract. No adverse effects or toxic reactions have been reported.

Suggested Dosage. For the majority of other ailments: Take 100 mg three times a day. Following are some guidelines however you should check with your health practioner before using high dosages.

• Aging 100 mg once a day

• Cancer Prevention 100 mg each morning; may be partially covered by daily antioxidant complex

• Cataracts 100 mg once a day

• Eczema 100 mg twice a day; may be partially covered by your daily antioxidant complex

• Hair Problems 100 mg twice a day; may be partially covered by antioxidant complex

• Heart Disease Prevention 100 mg twice a day

• Macular Degeneration 100 mg twice a day

• Psoriasis 100 mg twice a day

Take grape seed extract at any time of day, but be consistent about when you take it, especially if you are using it to fight a particular condition. To realize a consistent benefit from grape seed extract, you need to take it regularly. Only about 30% of its PCOs remain in your body 24 hours after taking the supplement.

I personally take the Vital Life Nutritionals brand of Grape Seed Extract and frankly wouldn't be without it. Since my doctor wants me to keep  my cholesterol under control I like the Cholest-Check formula.

It includes 50 mg grape seed extract, 60 mg Co Q10 along with two proven cholesterol reducers...policosanol and niacin. Check out Cholest-Check with grape seed extract here.