The Health Benefits of Muscadine
Grape Seeds
- 100% pure & natural grape seed extract.
There are numerous claims to the benefits of red wine, grape seed extract, grape skin, etc. We at MuscadineGrapeSeeds use this product ourselves and believe strongly in most of these claims. We stress "...most of these claims" and we encourage you to do the research for yourself. Remember, it's for your own Good Health.
Antioxidants and Free Radicals
An apple slice turns brown. Fish becomes rancid. A cut on your skin is raw and inflamed. All of these result from a natural process called oxidation. It happens to all cells in nature, including the ones in your body. To help your body protect itself from the rigors of oxidation, Mother Nature provides thousands of different antioxidants in various amounts in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes. When your body needs to put up its best defense, especially true in today's environment, antioxidants are crucial to your health.
Antioxidants protect the body from damage caused by harmful molecules called free radicals. Many experts believe this damage is a factor in the development of blood vessel disease (atherosclerosis), cancer, and other conditions. You are exposed to free radicals through:
Antioxidants include some vitamins (such as vitamins C and E), some minerals (such as selenium), and flavonoids, which are found in plants. The best sources of antioxidants are fruits and vegetables; you can find flavonoids in fruits, red wine, and some teas. You can also buy natural antioxidant supplements. Experts are studying how antioxidants affect the risk for many diseases. These diseases include:
Allergies, Rheumatoid
Arthritis, Cancer, Diabetes, Gum Disease,
Immune System decline,
Osteoporosis, Parkinson's Disease,
DNA Mutation in Cells,
Birth Defects, High
Blood Pressure,
Heart Disease, Schizophrenia, Hardening of the Arteries,
Cardiovascular Disease,
Cataracts,
Crohn's Disease,
Alzheimer's Disease,
and research is exploring many more.
The Danger of Free Radicals
While the body can metabolize oxygen very efficiently, about 1% or 2% of cells will be damaged in the metabolization process and they will turn into free radicals. "Free radicals" is a term often used to describe these damaged cells which can be problematic. They are "free" because they are missing a critical molecule, which sends them on a rampage to pair with another molecule. When free radicals are on the attack, they don't just kill cells to acquire their missing molecule. "If free radicals simply killed a cell, it wouldn't be so bad… the body could just regenerate another one," he says. "The problem is, free radicals often injure the cell, damaging the DNA, which creates the seed for disease." When a cell's DNA changes, the cell becomes mutated. It grows abnormally and reproduces abnormally -- and quickly.
These external attacks can overwhelm the body's natural free-radical defense system. In time, and with repeated free radical attacks that the body cannot stop, that damage can lead to a host of chronic diseases, including cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease.
Super-Antioxidant
Research has shown that a substance within grape-seed extract, oligoproanthocyanidin, or OPC, is a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants disarm free radicals -- molecules that can damage DNA, cells, and tissues, eventually contributing to heart disease, cancer, and other illnesses. Because of its structure, one OPC molecule can neutralize several free radicals at once, while each molecule of better-known antioxidants like vitamins C and E can handle only one at a time.
Putting It to the Test
In one experiment, researchers placed OPC, vitamin C, and vitamin E in three separate test tubes filled with free radicals similar to those found in the body. After 15 minutes, the researchers found that OPC had knocked out up to 81% of the free radicals in its test tube. By comparison, vitamin C and E neutralized up to 19% and 44%, respectively.
Looking to the Future
The research into muscadine grape seed extract continues. The MuscadineGrapeSeeds Company will continue to work with the scientific community exploring the potential of this pure, naturally organic component for the benefit of human medical health.
Disclaimer: This statement is required by the FDA: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.