Grape Seed Extract lowers blood pressure in patients with metabolic syndrome

April 17, 2007

Cardiovascular researchers at UC Davis School of Medicine show that Grape Seed Extract lowers blood pressure in patients with the disastrous cluster of conditions known as metabolic syndrome. Patients with this condition have high cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood pressure, diabetes or Prediabetes, and are overweight.

In the one-month study 24 male and female patients with metabolic syndrome were split into 3 groups. The first group received inactive placebo, the second received Grape Seed Extract at 150mg a day and the third received Grape Seed Extract at 300mg a day. Blood pressure was tested and recorded for 12 hours after supplementation. Both groups on Grape Seed Extract had a significant drop in blood pressure with an average drop of 12 points in systolic blood pressure, and a drop of 8 points in diastolic pressure; this could make the difference between having a stroke vs. surviving. The 300mg dosage also prevented LDL-cholesterol from going rancid and contributing to hardening of the arteries. The study was presented to the American Chemical Society and the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.