Grape Seed Extract - Alternative Medicine for Dogs and Cats
| ★ 3 min read |
- Grape Seed Extract
- What's Safe
- What's Not Safe
- History of grape seed extract
- Health Benefits
- Cautions
- Side Effects
- Drug Interactions
1.0 Grape Seed Extract (extract
of Vitis vinifera)
Whats Safe for Dogs and Cats
Organic grape seed extract is not toxic to dogs and cats. Organic grape seed extract is a traditional alternative medicine.
Grape seed extract is used in various forms as a natural alternative medicine for dogs and cats:
- Encapsulated extract
- Liquid extract
- Powder extract
Whats NOT Safe for Dogs and Cats
The fruit of the grape vine (grapes and dried grapes {raisins}), can be toxic and life threatening to dogs and cats.
The skin and flesh of some grapes contains substances that can cause
renal failure in dogs and cats.
Possible cause - the potent, toxic chemical pesticides, herbicides used in growing non-organic grapes.
Some dogs and cats do not suffer an adverse reaction after accidental consumption of a few grapes (grape flesh and skin), or raisins.
However, other dogs and cats can suffer from serious and life-threatening side effects. To learn more about grape and raisin toxicity go to this article.
History of Grape Seed Extract
Since ancient times various parts of the grape plant (fruit,
leaves, stem), however extract from the grape seed was not used until the
1970s, when a French biochemist, Professor Masquelier isolated the substance
oligomeric proanthocyandin (OPCs) from the seed.
The professor first alerted to the possibility extract after
studying the mission logs of the famous explorer Jacques Cartier. Cartier, his
men and his ship had become ice bound during a particularly cold Canadian
Winter – during that time his men had fallen victim to scurvy (caused by
insufficient intake of vitamin C). During that ice-bound season Cartier had the
good fortune to meet a helpful Indigenous person who taught Cartier how to make
tea from pine bark. The resulting tea produced an immediate improvement in the
ailing crew’s health.
The professor surmised that pine bark must contain high levels of
vitamin C, he proceeded to investigate. His investigations revealed that pine
bark contained substances other than vitamin C – in particular OPCs and
procyanidolic oligomers (PCOs). In 1952 the professor patented his method of extracting
PCO from pine bark. The trade name that he assigned to the extracted PCO was
Pycnogenol. In 1970 he successfully extracted
PCO from grape seeds. PCO is one of many plant flavonoids. In 1986, the
professor went on to discover more about grape seed extract and proved that the
OPC strength of Pine Bark extract ranges between 80-85%. While grape seed extract
has more efficacy as its OPC range is between 90-95%. Grape seed extract also
contains high concentrations of Vitamin E and Linoleic Acid.
Grape seed extract is a by product of the wine manufacturing
industry. The extract is made from the crushed seeds of the grape.
2.0 Health Benefits of Grape Seed Extract
Benefits of grape seed extract include (a partial list)
- Asthma (an inflammatory disease)
- Food allergies
- Skin Allergies
- Eczema
- Psoriasis
- Environmental allergies (hay fever)
- Grape seed extract contains natural Cox-2
Brain Support:
Active ingredients in grape seed extract can cross the blood-brain barrier, allowing
antioxidant properties to aid in the
prevention of oxidative stress to the brain, eyes and nerves. This action helps provide protection from:
- Dementia
- Cataracts
- Macular degeneration
- Neurodegenerative diseases
- Grape seed extract increases the production of nitric oxide which dilates arteries and increases blood flow.
- Grape seed extract has been proven to halt the growth and survival of colorectal cancer cells and kills the cancer cells in large numbers without harming healthy cells.
- In contrast to chemotherapy to which cancer cells may become resistant, the many bioactive compounds in grape seed extract are able to target multiple mutations – with efficacy actually increasing in stage IV cells.
- Grape seed extract has been shown to trigger the destruction of leukemia cells by turning on a protein called JNK that regulates the cancer killing pathway.
- Decreases risk of prostate cancer and breast cancer.
Chronic venous insufficiency
Diabetes complications such as:
Diabetes complications such as:
- Blood Vessel damage
- Improve insulin sensitivity
- Macular degeneration (AMD)
- Crohn's
- Diarrhea
Liver Issues
Drug interactions include:
3.0 Cautions
4.0 Side Effects
5.0 Drug Interactions
Drug interactions include:
- Anticoagulant, Antiplatelet drug
- Medications changed or broken down by the liver
- May interact with NSAIDs (non steroidal anti-inflammatory)
Holistic Diet, Nutrition, Wellness Services Tailored to Your Individual Dog and Cat
For information about my holistic diet, nutrition and wellness services, visit my holistic wellness services page.
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For information about my holistic behavioral services, visit my holistic behavioral services page.
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Affiliations to Companies
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✓ I don't sell food, supplements, or other products.
✓ I'm not aligned with any companies.
Article and graphics by Karen Rosenfeld.
