Grape Seed Extract and Vascular Health

What it contains

Grape seed extract is rich in oligomeric proanthocyanidins, a class of polyphenol also found in pine bark and some berries. They are among the more potent dietary antioxidants by laboratory measures.

What the research covers

Trials have examined grape seed extract around blood pressure, endothelial function and markers of oxidative stress. Several small studies report modest blood pressure reductions, particularly in people with elevated baseline readings.

As with most botanical literatures, study sizes are modest and heterogeneity is high.

Why it appears in men's formulas

Circulation underpins physical performance and general vascular wellness, and the vascular side of a men's formula is where a genuine mechanism exists. Grape seed sits alongside Ginkgo in that role.

It has the advantage of carrying no anticoagulant interaction caution comparable to Ginkgo's, though anyone on blood pressure medication should still mention it to their prescriber.

Doses in research

Trials commonly use 100 to 300 mg daily of standardised extract. As always, whether a broad formula reaches that range at undisclosed dosing is not knowable pre-purchase.

The reasonable position

An unglamorous, reasonably supported antioxidant and vascular ingredient. It will never be the reason someone buys a formula, and it is one of the more defensible components when it is present.

Keep reading

• Zinc, Magnesium and Testosterone: What the Claims Really Say
• Ashwagandha for Men: What the Research Shows
• Bacopa Monnieri: The Memory Evidence Examined
• Ginkgo Biloba: What the Evidence Actually Says
• Rhodiola Rosea and Mental Fatigue

Found this useful? The rest of the series is on the Horsewood blog.