Interesting article on GSE

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The information contained in this booklet is intended for educational purposes. It is not intended as a substitute for individual medical attention, or as a recommendation for a specific health condition or illness. The author shall not be held liable or responsible to any person or entity.

The Body’s Need for OPC, and the Bodily Benefit of GSE, as Dietary Supplements

Kristal

Copyright © 2004

Let’s look at how Grape Seed Extract and Grapefruit Seed Extract function in the body. Separately, the extracts provide superior benefits and effectiveness in comparison to most antioxidants and antibiotics. Grape seeds contain a remarkable bioflavinoid complex known as Oligomeric Procyanidins, (OPC), an antioxidant recently discovered to be 20 times more potent than vitamin C and 50 times more potent than Vitamin E. Bioflavinoids “strengthen connective tissue, the network of collagen and elastin that holds everything in the body together.” Bioflavinoids in fruits actually get incorporated into the connective tissue throughout the body, especially in skin and blood vessels. Grape Seed Extract, OPC, is a powerful

antioxidant that repairs, protects and promotes the growth of the fibrous structural proteins of the collagen and elastin that make up the connective tissue in the body. OPC is anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-mutagenic, as well as a powerful antioxidant. When used as a supplement or as part of preventative treatments, Grape Seed Extract protects cellular DNA from oxidative damage and prevents swelling of tissue.

At the same time, Grapefruit Seed Extract, GSE, is an antioxidant and broad spectrum antimicrobial—it is antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-fungal. It rarely causes allergic reaction, except in cases of persons allergic to citrus. In combination, these two extracts form one powerful, comprehensive dietary supplement unparalleled in its ability to help the body be healthier on a cellular level in many different ways.

Grape-seed and Grapefruit Seed extracts are both non-toxic botanical compounds that complement each other. Separate and alone, these extracts are exceptional nutritional food supplements in themselves.

Grape-Seed Extract, OPC

Grape seed extract, OPC, is a powerful antioxidant that repairs, protects and promotes the growth of the fibrous structural proteins of the collagen and elastin that make up the connective tissue in the body. It is anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-mutagenic, as well as a powerful antioxidant. When used as a supplement or as part of preventative treatments, Grape Seed Extract, OPC protects cellular DNA from oxidative damage and prevents swelling of tissue.

Scientists have discovered that certain nutrients, such as OPC found in grape seed extract, can help you look younger and feel healthier. An important nutrient in the quest for anti-aging and anti-disease treatment is Grape seed extract because it is a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidant protection helps protect the body from premature aging, disease and decay. Jacques Masquelier in 1986 discovered the ability of OPC to scavenge free radicals from the body. Free radicals play a major role in the development of degenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, strokes and aging.

OPC is found in skins of grapes, cherries, blueberries, the barks of lemon trees and pine trees, and the leaves of the hazelnut tree. However, according to T. Murrary, “Only grape-seed extract contains gallic esters of [OPC], compounds which are the most effective free-radical scavenging.” Grape seeds contain the greatest concentration of OPC; its extract “yields the highest concentration of any known source at 95%.

OPC is thought to increase the effectiveness of other antioxidants, especially vitamin C and vitamin E, by helping them regenerate after neutralizing free radicals in the blood and tissue. OPC in the Grape Seed Extract is readily bio-available. The bioflavinoid OPC is water-soluble, making it easily absorbed by the body. OPC can even cross the blood-brain barrier, providing antioxidant protection to the brain and nervous system. According to Dr. Hansen, N.M.D., “Bioflavinoids are so essential they could be considered vitamins, because our bodies cannot make them and we cannot survive without them.”

Against Harmful Free Radicals, Beneficial Antioxidants

In order to stabilize itself, a “free radical takes an electron from the membrane of a body tissue and by doing so, produces yet another free radical.” This process is repeated over and over again in the body causing oxidative damage of cell membranes and aging of connective tissue. Antioxidants, such as OPC found in grape seeds, become incorporated into connective tissue, thereby ameliorating the effects of free radicals. In fact, anti-oxidants will go about donating electrons until they have no more; one anti-oxidant molecule is able to neutralize many free radicals.

OPC has the most available electrons compared to other antioxidants, making them roughly 20 times as potent as Vitamin C, and 50 times as potent as Vitamin E. Subsequently, OPC is “effective in the treatment of arthritis, allergies, hardening of the arteries, ulcers, wrinkling of the skin, cellulite, brown spots, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, gum disease, as well as the prevention of cancer, strokes, cataracts, glaucoma, diabetes, and more.” Supplementary, daily consumption can promote the strengthening of the flexible connective tissues throughout our bodies. It is perhaps this function that accounts for the restorative effects of OPC that scientists have observed in studies involving capillary fragility, vascular disease, diabetic retinopathy and joint degeneration. OPC is an important nutrient “ …dramatically retarding the aging process, while

protecting vessels, and joints,” when we consume them.

Studies and experiments have shown that OPC greatly “reduce the incidence of all types of cancer. One study showed that the risk of developing cancer is 11.4 times greater for those with low levels of the antioxidants vitamin E and selenium. … [OPC] protects cellular DNA from oxidative damage and cell mutations which can lead to cancer.” A study published in 1998 by a team of researchers at Creighton University, town University Medical Center, and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, reported that grape seed extract, OPC, significantly inhibited and sometimes killed human cancer cells, while promoting the growth of normal healthy cells. The extract was effective in killing 34-48% of breast, lung, and stomach cancer cells. It was not effective in destroying leukemia cells. Other studied have shown

grape seed extract, OPC, combined with other antioxidants, can reduce the overall risk of developing cancer.

It is known that oxygen-derived free radicals (reactive oxygen species) mediate tissue damage in acute and chronic pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is also associated with lower levels of utilization. Two US-based clinicians hypothesized that grape seed extract, OPC, being a powerful antioxidant, might be useful in managing the symptoms of chronic pancreatitis. (1) The extract was given to three patients with well-established disease whose severe symptoms were unresponsive to standard treatments. The addition of grape seed extract, OPC, to their treatment regimen led to a reduction in the frequency and intensity of abdominal pain as well as resolution of vomiting in one patient. Abdominal pain is the most common symptom of chronic pancreatitis and a striking feature of the treatment with grape seed extract, OPC, was a substantial reduction in the severity

of pain experienced by the patients.

The OPC in Grape-Seed Extract also helps protect the body from sun damage and helps improve vision. Grape Seed Extract, OPC, has been shown to improve flexibility in joints, arteries and body tissues such as the heart. Research studies have also shown that Grape Seed Extract, OPC, helps improve blood circulation by strengthening capillaries, arteries and veins.

OPC is not a cure for cancer. However the super antioxidant contained in OPC has been shown to significantly inhibit and even kill cancer cells and increase the viability of normal healthy cells, according to research findings announced in New Orleans today at the American Association of Cancer Research conference. “The findings of our research indicate that there may be an important role for nutritional ingredients in cancer therapies as well as cancer prevention." “It is a natural food substance that appears to be toxic against certain cancer cells, while actually protecting and improving the health of normal cells," said Joshi. "This may have important implications in current cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, which is toxic to both cancer and normal

cells."

OPC has also shown benefits in helping the body heal several types of retinal disease. OPC allows the body to counteract free radical damage regarding the oxidation of proteins in lenses. This kind of oxidation can lead to the development of cataracts. “Clinical studies have shown that antioxidants can halt cataract progression.” OPC is a nutrient incorporated into the body to protect collagen. Because of this, it can ease the damage of aging to the structures of the eye. Glaucoma is one type of this kind of damage.

Grape seed extract, OPC, works on the level of cells in your body. The natural extract components in OPC are able to cross the blood brain barrier and subsequently reduce the effects of environmental toxins in the body. Because these components cross the blood-brain barrier, mental fitness and energy are improved, nutritional deficiencies are counteracted, visual acuity is enhanced, and the frequency and severity of colds are diminished. OPC also increases the bio-availability and benefits of vitamins such as vitamin C and vitamin E.

Arthritis, Joint Health and Antihistamine Benefits of OPC

OPC helps the body to prevent swelling, to heal damaged tissue, and helps to reduce pain as a result. OPC helps alleviate inflammation and related illnesses at the root of the problem: OPC helps the body heal the cells of the infected area. Further, it inhibits the release and synthesis of histamine and other compounds that cause inflammation on two fronts. The OPC combines with the walls of cells that “contain allergic chemicals” and produce histamines. Simultaneously, OPC helps form a barrier around joint tissues by being incorporated into and re-enforcing collagen. Because of its ability to counter histamines, OPC can be used to help with osteo-arthritis, rheumatoid and psoriatic

arthritis.

OPC is also beneficial for stress-related ulcers, including gastric and duodenal ulcers. OPC reduces histamine secretion in the lining of the stomach as it binds with and protects the connective tissue in mucous membranes” and the nutritional supplement OPC even helps to promote the growth of stomach cells.

This relates to the health of the respiratory system as well. OPC can enhance the immune system by generally strengthening cellular structures. As a result, OPC can be beneficial in helping the body to deal with several respiratory conditions, including asthma, emphysema, allergies, and sinusitis. As noted above, it helps inhibit the production of histamines, which decreases sensitivity to pollens and food allergens. Grape seed extract, OPC, benefits autoimmune diseases by enhancing the immune system, helps reduce inflammation, helps to control allergic responses and helps balance the breakdown of proteins by the body.

Internal Skin Care

Since it contains nature’s most potent antioxidant, OPC can be used to help the body combat damage caused by pollution and environmental toxins. The most apparent damage is the aging of skin. According to Dr. Hansen, “wrinkles, varicose veins, age spots, and cellulite are much more than just vanity diseases. They are signs of a deficiency of proanthocyanidin bioflavinoids which are found in grape seed extract.” Studies suggest that OPC may help skin wounds heal faster and with less scarring. It aids in the regeneration of damaged blood vessels in the body and increases the amount of oxygen at the wound site, as well as disinfects the wound of pathogenic bacteria. That is, OPC acts as an antioxidant and

anti-bacterial agent, when taken orally, and as an oxidative substance, similar yet better than hydrogen peroxide, if used topically. Thus skin heals faster. One of the most popular uses of OPC is in treating the affects of aging, including the prevention of wrinkles, by protecting the skin against ultraviolet radiation damage from sunburn. At the same time, OPC improves skin elasticity and tone and helps reduce the appearance of scars and stretch marks.

Thus, OPC dietary supplements can be used to aid leaky gut syndrome. As noted above, the nutritional supplement OPC aids in rebuilding stomach cells and the lining of the intestinal tract while detoxifying antigens such as chemicals, toxic substances, and parasites. Autoimmune illnesses often result when antibodies that combat antigens enter the blood stream. Because it strengthens the connective tissue of blood vessels, OPC helps block antibodies. In similar fashion, it prevents Candida toxins from circulating in the blood stream, and helps the body reduce secondary infections associated with chronic fatigue syndrome and the HIV/AIDS virus.

Because OPC is able to cross the blood-brain barrier without having toxic side-effects, antioxidant OPC can provides many benefits for pregnant women, children, and the elderly. OPC can aid in building the body’s resistance to damage caused by environmental toxins, regardless of age. And as a natural preventative supplement, it can be used to improve nutritional deficiencies and can enhance the benefits of vitamins such as C and E. For older persons, OPC can help increase energy, reduce fatigue, improve visual acuity, and diminish the effects of mental aging. Even more exciting is the health benefit of OPC for pregnant women. Since OPC helps one to be healthier and rebuild on an intercellular level, it can be used to

improve the health of expecting mothers and the their babies in vitro, helping to rid the body of toxins and microbes that might adversely impact pregnancy, and helps to strengthen the connective tissue of internal organs, even the brain, of the developing fetus.

This relates to the health of the respiratory system as well. OPC enhances the immune system by strengthening cells. It can be beneficial in helping the body cope with several respiratory conditions, including asthma, emphysema, allergies, and sinusitis. As noted above, it helps inhibit the production of histamines, which decreases sensitivity to pollens and food allergens.

Grape seed extract, OPC, can be beneficial to the body by being a “natural chemo-protectant” helping to heal internal organs such as the liver. In 1996 alone, 74,000 cases of acetaminophen toxicity of the liver were reported in the United States, according to United States Poison Control Centers figures. In the case of toxicity resulting from the use of medications, the dietary supplement of grape seed extract, OPC, can help the body repair tissue damage. Moreover, OPC helps to reverse tissue damage caused by modern treatments such as chemotherapy, which destroys both cancer cells and some normal cells.

Intercellular Benefit Regarding Cardiovascular Disease

It is important to remember that antioxidant OPC is rapidly incorporated into all connective tissue in the body. In the treatment of cardiovascular disease, OPC can be used as a supplement to “reduce elevated blood pressure.” OPC helps the body protect the connective tissue of blood vessels, thus, improving the elasticity of venous and arterial walls, strengthening capillaries, and making red blood cells more pliable. It may help inhibit the stickiness and clumping of blood platelets that “can lead to blood clots and strokes.” “These procyanidins [OPC] apparently reduce the incidence of aortic lesions that lead to serious cardiovascular disease or sudden death for those with dangerously high cholesterol diets.” This is the so-called ‘French Paradox’, wherein the

rich diet of the French people is offset by their consumption of antioxidant red-wine, which also contains OPC.

In the case of grape seed extract, the components of OPC are incorporated into the walls of capillaries. As a result, capillaries become less vulnerable to deterioration and poor circulation in the veins due to aging. Because of this, grape seed extract, OPC, can be beneficial in the case of edema, an excessive accumulation of fluid in tissue. It can also be beneficial in reducing blood pressure for people with hypertension. A study published in 1998 by cardiovascular researchers at the University of California, , found that OPC helped increase flow in blood vessels, contributing to better regulation of blood pressure. Grape seed extract, OPC, thereby helps reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke when taken regularly as a supplement.

Grapefruit Seed Extract, GSE

Just as grape seed extract is superior to other antioxidants, grapefruit seed extract, GSE, has been found to be more effective than most natural and synthetic antibiotics. Produced from a natural plant source, the seeds, pulp, and white membranes of the grapefruit, grapefruit seed extract, GSE, is a plant-based antimicrobial proven to inhibit the growth of bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses. It is non-toxic to humans, plants, and animals and does not cause the side effects associated with most pharmaceuticals. As an antimicrobial, grapefruit seed extract, GSE, has been used by individuals planning extended care in hospitals due to the wide spread of instances of germ contamination. Unlike other natural supplements such as olive leaf extract to which germs can form resistances, grapefruit seed extract, GSE, remains effective against

microbes. As Tenney writes, “GSE features the best of both worlds: the quaternary compounds derived from grapefruit exhibit broad-spectrum anti-microbial activity, while evidencing none of the toxic side effects of chemically-derived” antibiotics.

Grapefruit seed extract is an effective alternative to antibiotics. This is because botanical GSE components apparently disrupt the cytoplasmic membrane of microbes. Subsequently, changes in genetic make-up in the pathogenic organism are irrelevant. That is, grapefruit seed extract attacks the cell membrane of the microbes. Virus cells are also rendered unviable and so it is impossible for the virus to mutate. Often, in the case of antibiotics, microbes become antibiotic-resistant and further threaten the health of the individual. By contrast, “there are no known cases of pathogens developing resistance to GSE, although different microbes are inhibited (unable to reproduce) at different concentrations.”

Grapefruit seed extract is not like pharmaceutical antibiotics where a set number of days treatment is specified. There are no known contraindications, nor are there any known drug interactions with GSE. GSE does not interfere with beneficial bacteria at moderate levels of use. Nor does the botanical and dietary supplement of grapefruit seed extract suppress the immune system and interfere with the production of antibodies in the way that simple synthetic antibiotics do. You can safely take GSE over a long period, if desired, without any worry of toxicity. Drinking grapefruit seed extract is very similar to eating a grapefruit. In fact, people have taken GSE every day for years (as a preventative) without side effects of any kind.

Grapefruit seed extract, GSE, provides many advantages over the use of simple synthetic antibiotics, in that GSE supports the immune system rather than disrupting it. Grapefruit seed extract, GSE, does not upset the natural balance of good bacteria in the digestive tract, nor does it harm tissue cell enzymes. When a person takes antibiotics, most of the bacteria in the body are inhibited, the good and the bad. “[W]ithout competition, resistant mutant strains can double in population every few minutes, causing re-infection with a "Super-Strain" of bacteria.” In other words, with simple synthetic antibiotics, if harmful bacterial are left in a persons system, they can quickly multiply and gain a stronger place in the body, because lesser competition has been removed. But, GSE does not leave individuals vulnerable to even more debilitating illnesses such as the Candida Albicans. In fact, it has been shown to stimulate the increase in good bacteria, which are necessary for proper digestion. Further, grapefruit seed extract, GSE, remains effective over time of continued use and remains effective against microbes that have developed resistances to antibiotics.

Grape seed extract, GSE, helps to provide protection against 800 bacterial and viral organisms as well as 100 strains of fungus and a large number of single cell and multi-celled parasites. It is an antimicrobial against Candida, Staph, Salmonella, Strep and E. coli, beating out iodine, chlorine bleach and tea tree oil. Again, Grapefruit Seed Extract, GSE, is a broad spectrum antimicrobial—it is antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-fungal. And it rarely causes allergic reaction, except in cases of persons allergic to citrus

Intercellular Treatment of Autoimmune Disease

Internally, grapefruit seed extract, GSE, can be used to help the body deal with illnesses related to a weakened immune system, such as Candida Albicans, vulvo-vaginitis, gastrointestinal Candidiasis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, as well as other bacterial infections that cause autoimmune deficiencies. GSE enhances the immune system by helping to provide protection against 800 bacterial and viral organisms as well as 100 strains of fungus and a large number of single cell and multi-celled parasites. Allergies, toxins and parasites weaken the immune system. As toxicity increases, the body becomes vulnerable to even more harmful diseases. It is believed that a compromised immune system can lead to cancer and unchecked bacterial infections may cause

arthritis.

Bibliography

[1] Dr Louis Parish, M.D., as investigator for the Dept. of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Food and Drug Administration, reported that (grapefruit seed extract) "...is as effective as any other amoebicide now available, perhaps more effective..." and, "It does not cause side effects." Nearly 200 patients were treated for Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia lamblia by Dr Parish and his associates over a two month period. Dr. Parish went on to say, "...it (GSE) gives symptomatic relief more than any other treatment." XXXFIND

CITATIONXXX

[2] Drug-resistant strains of Malaria are found in Thailand, Cambodia, Burma, and Vietnam. Drug-resistant E.coli is found in Japan, the U.S., and Korea. The existance of these mutated pathogens, and others, are explained to a large degree by the overuse and misuse of antibiotics. Especially is this true in the wealthier countries like the U.S., where healthy chickens and cattle are routinely fed antibiotics, and both children and adults are routinely prescribed antibiotics for the common cold or flu. Hospitals have become home to several "SuperBugs". Is it a coincidence that Hospitals routinely prescribe antibiotics for surgery patients, hoping

to fend off a post-surgical infection?

[3]. Ibid., p. 6. With regards to grapefruit seed extract, Tenney asserts that “GSE may actually encourage the growth of good bacteria by inhibiting the microbes that are competing for its space and food.”

[4] Tenny, p. 28.

[5] “Grapefruit Seed Extract, Aloe, and Zinc Protect against Oral Infections. ”Excerpted from Hepatitis Weekly, June 1, 1998 by Salynn Boyles, Senior Editor Adding zinc, aloe, or grapefruit seed extracts to toothpaste may protect against viral and bacterial infections of the oral cavity, according to a report from New York City's Pace University. The report was delivered at the 98th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, held May 17-21, 1998, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. "Our findings have a significant impact on oral hygiene care and its emerging role in chronic, systemic diseases, due

to the fact that many viruses found in the body enter through the mouth," Schiffenbauer said in a May 20th presentation. Schiffenbauer noted that medical researchers have recently discovered that bacterial infections in the mouth may lead to blood clots that can bring on heart attacks and strokes. The article also noted that several studies conducted since 1989 suggest that people with periodontal disease also have an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

[6] Bioflavonoids are natural plant components that strengthen and protect living tissue.

[7] See B Scwitters and J. Masquelier, “OPC in Practice: Bioflavanoids and Their Applications,” in AlfaOmega, Rome, 1993, J. Masquelier, “Procyanidolic Oligomers,” in Journal Parfums Comet Arom, 95: 89-97, 1990, and S. Uchida, et. al., Condensed tannins scavenge active oxygen radicals, Med. Sci. Res., 15: 831-2. 1980.

[8] Ibid. See also J. Masquelier, “Procyanidolic Oligomers.”

[9] The person responsible for their discovery was a French scientist named Dr. Jacques Masquelier, who first tested bioflavonoid containing peanuts on lab animals and discovered that their blood vessel walls would double in strength only hours after eating them. His discovery was made in 1948. Studies conducted by Jacques Masquelier (was the discoverer of OPC) show that Grape Seed Extract has a greater antioxidant effect than pine bark extract. This is probably due to one particularly potent kind of OPC (proanthocyanidin B2-3'-0-gallate) found in Grape Seed Extract that is completely absent from pine bark extract.

[10] Micheal T Murray. In a more recent article “The Power of Grape Seed Extract,” also by Dr. T. Murray, Dr. Murray explains why grape seed extract is indeed all it's cracked up to be. “Grape Seed Extract” is a very informative article from the Gale Encyclopedia of

Alternative Medicine.

[11] Dr. Hansen, Grape Seed Extract: Proycanidolic Oligomers (PCO): “The most potent preventative medicine you can take.” Healing Wisdom Publications, New York, Second Edition, 1999. points out that the concentration of PCO found in grape seed extract is 10% higher than that found in “pine bark, the next closest source.” P. 3.

[12] Hansen.

[13] Grapefruit seed extract(GSE) is a quaternary compound converted from the bioflavinoids (naringin, isosacuranetin, neohesperidin, hesperidin, dihydrocampherol glycoside, poncirin, quercetin glycoside, campherol glycoside, apigenin rutinoside, to name a few) found in grapefruit seed and pulp. The polyphenols themselves are unstable but are chemically converted into more stable substances that belong to a diverse class of products called quaternary ammonium compounds.

[14]Grapeseed Keeps Arteries Clear is an article from the journal Atherosclerosis. Purple grape juice improves endothelial function and reduces the susceptibility of LDL cholesterol to oxidation in patients with coronary artery disease. Grape seed proanthocyanidin reduces cardiomyocyte apoptosis by inhibiting ischemia/reperfusion-induced activation of JNK-1 and C-JUN.

[15]This recent study concludes that both in vitro incubation and oral supplementation with purple grape juice decrease platelet aggregation, increase platelet-derived nitric oxide release, and decrease super-oxide production. Select bioflavinoids and whole juice from purple grapes inhibit platelet function and enhance nitric oxide

release

[16] Ibid. According to Hansen, “Free radicals are oxygen molecules with a missing or unpaired electron which spin erratically throughout the body, damaging every cell and tissue they contact until they are finally stopped by an antioxidant such as vitamin C or E, beta-carotene, bioflavinoids, or certain enzymes produced by the body. […] Free radicals are produced from normal oxygen metabolism within the body and exposure to certain chemicals, environmental pollutants, sunlight, radiation, burns, cigarette smoke, drugs, alcohol, viruses, bacteria, parasites, dietary fats, and more,” P.

4.

[17]

In the article Unlock The Power Of Seeds And Bark, which was published in the July, 2000 edition of Better Nutrition, author J. Jamison Starbuck, N.D. points out that proanthocyanidins are recommended for treating such conditions as ocular disease, cardiac disease, circulatory disorders, inflammation, diabetes, liver damage, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and even cancer. (Jamison Starbuck, J.D., N.D is a licensed naturopathic and homeopathic physician. Her Missoula (Montana)-based family practice treats the whole person via constitutional homeopathy, botanical medicine, nutrition, counseling and

other natural modalities. Dr. Starbuck is also a consulting editor for Time-Life Books.)

[18] Dr. Hansen, Grape Seed Extract

[19] Ibid., p. 5. The body’s connective tissue consists of “long chaons of muccopolysaccharides called glycosaminoglycans, chondroitin sulfate, collagen and elastin. As these tissues age they oxidize, become cross-linked and rigid, and lose their elasticity.”

[20] Proanthocyanidins have been used therapeutically for decades in Europe to improve circulation, reduce edema and varicose veins. In a double blind study of 50 patients with chronic venous insufficiency, Grape Seed Extract alleviated symptoms of this circulatory disorder. A study of 25 patients with high blood pressure or diabetes who were given 150 milligrams of proanthocyanidins per day showed a significant increase in capillary strength as compared to the placebo group. A double blind, placebo controlled study involving 92 patients with peripheral venous insufficiency showed that proanthocyanidins substantially reduced pain, night time cramps and

subjective edema.

[21] Grapefruit Seed Extract is becoming the disinfectant and sanitizing agent of choice for many hospitals and clinics throughout the United States. Jerry Skidmore, C.L.M., the Manager of Laundry Operations for Florida Hospitals, wrote, "I have had 30 years experience in the laundry industry and it is only since using (GSE) that I have had the peace of mind and assurance that the patients in our hospital and the other hospitals we serve have complete protection from fungal and bacteria

infections that can be associated with linen. It is very gratifying to know that even after many hours of exposure to various bacteria that are always present in hospitals, that our linen has been tested and found free of all harmful or pathogenic organisms."

[22] Tenney, p. 8.

[23] From Seoul, Korea, Dr. Sung-Hwan of Abcom Chemie Co., Ltd states: "Considering all the electron micrographs, we believe that the microbial uptake of GSE alters the cell membrane by inhibiting enzymatic activities… You can see the loss of the cytoplasmic membrane."

[24] What is still not known is how GSE can be effective against viruses, inasmuch as a virus has no cell membrane of its own.

[25] Tenney.

[26] According to Tenney, “It is not know precisely why this is so, but the theory is that the low pH of GSE may be an important factor.”

[27] In June 2002, 'The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine' published research conducted by Heggers, PhD, at the University of Texas Med School. This preliminary research confirmed that GSE was effective in inhibiting the growth of 67 different pathogens at dilutions that were non-toxic. Dr. Heggers plans further research on GSE as a wound dressing, as he is also affiliated with the Shriner's Hospital Burn Center in Galveston, TX.

[28] “Many drug sensitive individuals find GSE to be much better tolerated than other antifungal preparations, and I have several patients in whom this product alone helped control chronic candidiasis when no other medication was tolerated or effective. In the treatment of intestinal protozoan infections, (Giardia lamblia and Entamoeba histolytica) GSE has for the most part been more effective than metronidazole and other prescription antiprotozoan drugs." -Dr. Leo Galland, New York, NY

[29] Ibid. See also J. Kuhnau, “The flavonoids, class of semi-essential food components: their role in human nutrition,” in World Review of Nutritional Diet, Vol. 24, pp. 117-191, 1976 and M. Amelia, et. al., “Inhibition of mass call histamine release by flavonoids and bioflavonoids,” in Planta Medica, pp. 5116-20, 1985.

[30] Ibid. P. 7. See fn 22, 28, 29.

[31] Ibid. See fn 17 and 24.

[32] Ibid. Hansen explains, the “anti-histamine action of OPC is mediated by an inhibiting effect on the enzyme histidine decarboxylase which is responsible for the production of histamine. This is enhanced by OPC’s ability to block hyaluronidase, the enzyme that facilitates to the release of histamine into body tissues.

[33] See fn 25.

[34] Ibid. p. 8. See fn 39 and 40.

[35] Ibid. p. 8.

[36] 1998 PR Newswire Association, Inc. Sevanian, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Southern California-Los Angeles, announced the results of his ground-breaking study which found that procyanidins from grape seed extract have a significant antioxidant effect in preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD), the number one killer in the developed world.

[37] Dr. Hansen, Grape Seed Extract. The Beauty Nutrient.

[38] Sen co-authored the study with Savita Khanna, Sashwati Roy, Nidhi Sharma and Prashant Trikha, all with Sen’s Laboratory of Molecular Medicine at Ohio State’s Heart and Lung Research Institute; Mika Venojarvi, who is also with Sen’s laboratory as well as the University of Kuopio, Finland; and Debasis Bagchi and Manashi Bagchi, who are both with Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Neb.

[39] In a study done in Monterrey, Mexico, by the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, GSE was tested as a treatment for Candida Albican Vaginitis. There were 20 patients with clinic and laboratory diagnosis of chronic Cervix Vaginal Candida Albican. The 20 women all douched using GSE every 12 hours for 3 consecutive days. Ages of the women ranged from 22 - 44 years and all had active sex lives. Various contraceptive methods were used among the group and previous clinical evaluation varied from 1.5 months to 8 years. According to Dr. E. Todd, M.D., "of the 20 patients treated, 15 patients were cured after the first treatment. Four patients received treatment twice to

receive clinic and laboratory negative results and 1 patient repeated treatment 3 times due to lab report positive."

[40] Physicians Miles, Olsen and (Recurrent Vaginal Candidiasis, JAMA, 1977), reporting on 98 consecutive patients complaining of recurrent vaginal candidiasis, (three or more episodes), said that in only one was Candida albicans found in the stool but not in the vagina. Grapefruit extract is effective in controlling this all-too-prevalent fungus and is the prescription of choice for a rapidly growing cadre of alopaths and naturopaths throughout the country.

[41] In laboratory tests conducted by Southern Research Institute and reported by M. , Ph.D., head of the Microbiology-Virology Division, grapefruit seed extract "...was effective in inactivating HSV-1 (herpes symplex virus type 1) after a 10 minute exposure at a 1:256 dilutions." Against human influenza virus type A2/Aichi/2/68 in vitro, the MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) for GSE was the same, 1:256. Dr. reported, "The fact that Grapefruit Seed Extract effectively inactivated both HSV-1 and influenza A virus suggests that an EPA type viricidal assay might demonstrate significant efficacy for this product." In South America, Interlan, S.A.

reports that grapefruit seed extract has been tested effective against the measles virus. The United States Dept. of Agriculture tested GSE and found it effective against four animal viruses: Foot and Mouth Disease, African Swine fever, Swine Vesicular Disease, and Avian influenza.

[42] A possible antidote to toxic doses of acetaminophen has been discovered by a professor at Long Island University’s Brooklyn Campus. Sidhartha D. Ray of the University’s Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has found that a novel grape seed extract (proanthycyanidin), known to have strong antioxidant properties, protects against acetaminophen-caused liver damage. Using several different blood, tissue and DNA measures, the seven-day pre-exposure to the grape seed extract appeared to afford what Ray describes as "dramatic protection" against liver damage caused by the toxic doses of acetaminophen.

[43] “Amelioration of the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapeutic agents by grape seed procyanidin extract,” a study that demonstrates the effectiveness of grape seed extract in the reduction of the toxic effects associated with chemotherapeutic agents.

Another articles, “Chemopreventative effects of grape seed proanthocyanidin extract on Change liver cells,” also reveals that grape seed extract reduces the toxic effects of chemotherapy.

[44] BW HealthWire)--March 30, 1998

[45] Tenny reports that Grapefruit Seed Extract contain limonoids, “bitter bioactive compounds” that have “proven effective against mouth, throat, lung, stomach, colon, skin, liver and breast cancers,: as limonoids stimulate the production of a cancer-fighting enzyme in the liver.

[46] Banerjee B, Bagchi D. Beneficial Effects of a Novel IH636 Grape Seed Proanthocyanidin Extract in the Treatment of Chronic Pancreatitis. Digestion 2001; 63:203-206

[47] Hansen, p.

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