Tired, Heavy Legs? Try Grape Seed Extract
Doctors call it chronic venous insufficiency, but I call it “museum legs.” For me, it comes on after hours of standing on hard floors without much walking or sitting. My legs feel heavy and tired, and my feet swell. Hot summer days are the worst! It’s the kind of feeling that makes you want to lie down and put your legs up for relief.
So I was very interested to read that grape seed extract can relieve this problem. In addition to helping your heart, fighting Alzheimer’s and potentially warding off cancer, research shows grape seed extract improves the tone of veins in your legs, making them feel less heavy and reducing swelling.
In a study, people who took either 360 mg or 720 mg of grape seed extract had a significant reduction in leg edema after 6 weeks of treatment, compared to placebo. The higher dose produced a slightly greater effect. People also reported significant decreases in symptoms such as tired or heavy legs, tension, and tingling and pain after 12 weeks of treatment. (Kiesewetter, H., et al. Arzneimittelforschung 2000; 50:109-117.)
Purple or red grapes, red wine, and grape seed extract all seem to improve the function of specialized cells lining blood vessels, called endothelial cells. They make these cells better able to relax when needed. They also prevent oxidation of LDL cholesterol, which can lead to fatty blockage in blood vessels. And they suppress platelet-mediated thrombosis — blood clots that can lead to phlebitis or even a stroke or heart attack! Some evidence even suggests that grape seed extract can help protect your heart from reperfusion injury — oxidative damage that occurs when the blood supply is temporarily interrupted, as would occur after a heart attack or heart surgery. (Pataki, T., et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002;75:894-9.)
If that’s not enough, grape seed extract also seems to protect your liver and kidneys from drug-induced toxicity, including that associated with acetaminophen (Tylenol). (Bagchi, D. et al. Ann NY Acad Sci. 2002;957:260-70.)
Grape seed extract is sometimes started at a high dose of 60 to 300 mg a day to get blood levels up, then taken at a lower maintenance dose of 40 to 80 mg. a day. Other substances that contain similar proanthocyanidins are Pygnogenol®, cranberries, bilberries, green and black tea, black currant, onions, parsley and hawthorne.
The Anti-Aging Bottom Line: It’s really nice to know that the “side effects” of a natural product like grape seed extract are mostly positive. If you’re taking a blood thinner, though, see your doctor before you start taking grape seed extract.
