(Pycnogenol)

One of the most potent antioxidants found in nature is a class of bioflavonoids (vitamin like nutrients which help the body absorb Vitamin C) called proanthocyanadins.

The high cost of producing proanthocyanadins has kept most people from using them on a regular basis.  Now, a new process in which proanthocyanadin is extracted from grape seeds provides an affordable concentrated source of this disease-preventing substance.  It may be the most effective natural antioxidant yet discovered. 

One of the fastest growing areas of research today is in the field of aging.  There's still a lot to be learned, but it's generally accepted by scientists that there are some things we can do to slow down the process.  That's where antioxidants come in.

Antioxidants control the oxidation cause by substances called free radicals, chemical by-products created when oxygen is burned as fuel in our cells.  Oxidation occurs all around us, all the time.  Rust is a form of oxidation; so is the browning of sliced apples.  In minute amounts, free radicals are good for our bodies. 

The trouble starts when free radical action escalates, which happens, for example, as a result of too much stress, pollution, smoking, pesticides, or radiation. 

The good news is that there are substances called free radical scavengers, or antioxidants, which slow down the oxidation process, and play an important role in damage prevention and control.

This brings us back to grape seed extract, or proanthocyanadin, one of the most powerful antioxidants there is.  In laboratory studies, its in vitro antioxidant action proved to be 50 times greater than vitamin E, and 20 times greater than vitamin C.

Grape seed extract is highly bioavailable--rapidly absorbed and distributed throughout the body within minutes of ingestion.

Since free radical damage involves numerous different functions of the body, antioxidants are beneficial in a broad range of conditions.  The long list of therapeutic benefits of grape seed extract include the following:

It inhibits the formation of histamine in the body.  Excess histamine can depress immune function and cause allergies and asthma.  And cutting down on the production of histamines in the mucous lining of the stomach can offer protection against ulcers.

Proanthocyanadin binds to collagen fibres, restoring elasticity and flexible strength to skin, joints, arteries, and other connective tissues.  Because of it's ability to reduce inflammation in tissues, it's very helpful for those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. 

It helps in visual disturbances, including prevention of age related and diabetic cataracts, and improvement of night vision.

Grape seed extract is extremely safe, and beneficial for anyone interested in boosting their Vitamin C intake, or for anyone who wants an excellent general antioxidant.  In clinical trials, negative side effects have been non-existent, even after consistently high dosage.

Proanthocyanadins:  Green Tea Extract

Green Tea:  Not Just Soothing Brew

In Asian countries like China, Japan and India, green tea is held in high esteem.  It is a brew thought to purify the body, delight the senses, and lift the spirits. 

For at least five years, medical researchers around the world have been looking at green tea.  Studies in Japan have showed lowered rates of lung cancer, stomach cancer and skin tumours, and lowered blood cholesterol among people who drink green tea every day.  Although black and oolong tea also contain some of the same preventive compounds, green tea is thought to contain the highest and most effective levels. 

Green tea also contains vitamin C; the amount varies depending on the type of leaf, but the average in two small cups of brewed tea is nearly equal to that in a cup of orange juice.  A mild stimulant, it contains less caffeine than black tea and half the caffeine of coffee.  Green tea also apparently has antibacterial qualities, which were discovered 5,000 years ago by the Chinese, who used it to purify drinking water.  The tea, which contains substantial amounts of fluoride, is also being studied in both this country and Asia as a preventative for dental plaque.

*Scientists at the Shanghai Cancer Institute and the National Cancer Institute in the USA have found that consumption of green tea lowers the risk of developing cancer of the esophagus (gullet).  Their study involved about 1,000 Shanghai residents who developed esophageal cancer between October 1990 and January 1993.  The researchers concluded that women who drank green tea regularly had a 50 per cent lower risk of developing esophageal cancer than did women who did not consume green tea.  This risk estimate took into account the known cancer-promoting effect of cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption.  When the scientists looked at the data for a subgroup of men and women who neither smoked nor drank alcohol, they found that women who drank green tea reduced their risk of developing esophageal cancer by 50 per cent; the corresponding reduction for men in this subgroup was 57 percent.  The study also revealed that drinking burning-hot liquids increases the risk of developing esophageal cancer.  Journal of the National Cancer Institute, June 1, 1994

Green Tea contains small amounts of the B Vitamins--riboflavin, niacin and folate and the minerals fluoride, manganese, zinc, potassium and magnesium.  Tea contains no sodium.

The first International Symposium on the Health Benefits of Tea in 1991 reported that green tea contains substances that may lower blood pressure and blood cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar, kill tooth decay causing bacteria, block the action of many carcinogens--and even inhibit the growth of cancerous tumours.

  Proanthocyanadins: Pine Bark Extract