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The French Paradox

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Grape seed extract - concentrated antioxidants

An interesting result of antioxidant research is that they are sometimes found in the unlikeliest of places. Chocolate, coffee, tea, strawberries, and sweet potatoes, to name but a few, are all excellent sources of antioxidants.

And wine connoisseurs are always delighted to hear that red wine can be a powerful weapon against free radical damage. Of course, even those of us who would prefer to not drink wine every day can benefit from this - by taking capsules of grape seed extract.

Bur before we get to the grape seed extract, let's talk about red wine.

Red wine

Red wine is very high in antioxidants, not least proanthocyanidins, which protect against cardiovascular disease and cancer, among others.

The wine gets its antioxidants from the skin and seeds of the grapes, and the seeds are the most important source of antioxidants in the grapes. In fact, although many plants contain proanthocyanidins, the strongest concentration of this antioxidant in ANY food is consistently found to be in grape seeds.

Proanthocyanidins are very potent free radicals scavengers that protect us from many damaging elements in the environment. They are among the very strongest antioxidants.

Red wine also contains reserveratrol, another antioxidant. In a recent, highly publicised experiment, mice were given reserveratrol supplements every day and then fed a rich, fatty diet. They did become overweight, but that was all; the unhealthy diet did not result in cardiovascular problems.

Mice being fed the same diet, but without reserveratrol, after a time all had much higher cholesterol levels and significant circulatory problems. It seemed that the reserveratrol removed many of the problems otherwise caused by a diet high in fat.

The French paradox

Another very convincing piece of evidence is the phenomenon that is known as the French paradox. This states that the people of France, which enjoy a diet high in fats and sugar, have a sensationally low incidence of cardiovascular disease. This seemingly contradictory state, known as the French paradox, has been researched thoroughly, and the reason for it seems to be that the French drink a lot of red wine, which contains antioxidants in high concentrations. In fact, no people in the world consumes more red wine than the French.

Clearly, red wine has a number of healthy, highly beneficial effects.

However, not everyone wants to or is able to drink 2-3 glasses of red wine every day, and eating whole grape seeds is not practical, for obvious reasons. Grape juice contains some antioxidants, and is better than nothing.

Grape seed extract could be the answer

All things considered, probably the best source of proanthocyanidins and reserveratrol is grape seed extract. Grape seed extract, as the name suggests, is made from the seeds of grapes - a substance that would otherwise get filtered from the wine and thrown away.

And that is a good thing, because as I mention above, grape seeds have much more antioxidants in them than the skin of the grapes or the wine itself. And they are concentrated in grape seed extract.

Grape seed extract can be taken in the form of capsules, which is a quick and convenient way of securing an excellent source of very powerful antioxidants.

Grape seed extract works by helping vitamin C enter cells, strengthening the cell membranes and protecting the cells from oxidative damage. Because it is both oil- and water-soluble, the antioxidants in grape seed extract can penetrate all kinds of cell membranes, delivering protection throughout the body, including the brain. Grape seed extract is one of the few substances that can cross the blood-brain barrier to protect brain cells from free radicals damage.

This is a very rare quality - and it means that grape seed extract is one of the antioxidants that actively protect the brain from oxidantion and rusting. That alone is reason enough for why you should consider making grape seed extract one of your main supplements. The antioxidants in grape seed extract have also been shown to help protect against cancer. In one such recent study conducted by a team from the University of Colorado, it was discovered that grape seed extract significantly inhibited the growth of colorectal tumor in mice. The mice that were given the extract displayed a reduction on the size of advanced colorectal tumors of 44 percent.

For all these reasons, grape seed extract comes strongly recommended - drinking red wine every day is not a good idea, not to mention expensive, but capsules of grape seed extract contain the best parts of the wine with none of the drawbacks.



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