Grape Seed Extract Fights Metabolic Syndrome

It’s a scary thought, but well over half of the people in the US are walking around with pre-diabetes, chronic inflammation, hypertension, fatty livers and plaque in their arteries. And, most of them don’t even know it.  All they know is that their belly’s have gotten bigger than they should be, and their cholesterol is probably high.

These poor health markers are a cluster of symptoms classically known as Syndrome X, or Metabolic Syndrome.

It occurs as a result of our low-active lifestyles, and our processed food diets high in sugar and manufactured fats, which has made us sicker and more unhealthy than we need to be.

But, not all developed countries around the world have these problems or suffer from Metabolic Syndrome.

People in France who eat a traditional diet of wine, cheese and fresh vegetables and fruits actually have very low incidences of diabetes and heart disease. We call this the “French” paradox and is attributed mostly to their red wine intake – a beverage rich in polyphenols.

Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants found in grapes and other foods, that have several beneficial health effects including fighting free radical damage in the body, tackling cancer cells and inhibiting their growth, and fighting viruses and bacteria.

Specifically, grape and wine proanthocyanidins (a type of polyphenol in grapes) protect heart health by raising HDL cholesterol, decreasing plaque formation due to LDL cholesterol build-up, and relaxing the walls of your arteries and blood vessels.

Recently, Spanish researchers investigated the effects of grape seed extract polyphenols on Metabolic Syndrome.  What they showed is that grape seed extract helped inhibit  the effects of a processed food, high fake-fat diet on the development of fatty liver, dyslipidemia and body fat gain.  

When they investigated how genetic expression of enzymes were effected, they found that the processed food diet caused the body to make and store more fat and carbohydrates, while the grape seed extract reversed these changes. Specifically, genes that tell our bodies to make and store less fat were upregulated, while other genes that allow our bodies to burn fat as a fuel were also kicked into high gear from grape seed extract.

These findings support other research showing that grape seed extract helps people achieve a healthy blood lipid (cholesterol and triglyceride) profile, in addition to reduces inflammation and helps control high blood pressure.

Although this sounds outstanding, grape seed extract alone is not enough – just like any one food component is not enough to combat the ill-effects of a bad diet.

We still need to eat real food and stay physically active more often than not. But, to keep your body healthier and allow it to burn more fat and make less fat, grape seed extract can be your healthy-body advocate.

References
Baiges I et al. Lipogenesis Is Decreased by Grape Seed Proanthocyanidins According to Liver Proteomics of Rats Fed a High Fat Diet. Mol Cell Proteomics. 2010 Jul;9(7):1499-513. Epub 2010 Mar 23.