GRAPE SEED EXTRACT
Updated: 6 days ago
Grape seed extract comes from the seeds of wine grapes. It's rich in natural plant compounds called proanthocyanidins (OPCs), and much of the research is on blood vessels.
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Grape seed extract is not the same as GSE (grapefruit seed extract), which is a different product. My GSE post is here:
GSE (GRAPEFRUIT SEED EXTRACT)
WHAT IS GRAPE SEED EXTRACT?
- Grape seed extract is made from the seeds of wine grapes (Vitis vinifera).
- Its main compounds are proanthocyanidins, often called OPCs (oligomeric proanthocyanidins). These same kinds of compounds are also found in fruits, vegetables, chocolate and tea.
- Memorial Sloan Kettering points out that grape seed extract should not be confused with grapefruit seed extract, since the two work differently.
GRAPE SEED EXTRACT OPTIONS
One I personally love: Find Relief, formulated by my doctor, Dr. Thoring.
I invested in Vital Harmony Nutritionals to help bring Find Relief to market, because I wanted a formula that saves people money.
Buy here (Allergy Research Group Grape Pips 100mg: grape seed extract capsules standardized for OPCs):
Buy here (Pure Encapsulations Grape Pip 500mg: high-strength grape seed extract capsules):
Buy here (Life Extension Grapeseed Extract 100 mg: grape seed blend with vitamin C and resveratrol):
Buy here (Protocol for Life Balance Grape Seed OPC 250mg: lower-priced capsules with amla and rutin):
VEINS AND BLOOD VESSELS
- A 2026 trial of 176 adults with varicose veins compared 150 mg of grape seed extract twice a day plus healthy lifestyle changes with lifestyle changes alone for 12 weeks. The grape seed group had a bigger drop in how long blood flowed backward in the leg veins (in both surface and deep veins), and their vein symptoms and quality of life improved more. There was no placebo group, and the authors reported no conflicts.
- A 2024 trial of 303 people with vein problems in the legs (chronic venous disease) compared grape seed extract with a common vein medicine for 8 weeks. Grape seed worked about as well as the medicine for vein symptoms and quality of life, and calf size went down in the grape seed group.
INFLAMMATION, ANTIOXIDANTS AND HEADACHES
- In a 2025 trial of 50 people with migraines, 200 mg a day for 8 weeks lowered CGRP, a chemical linked to migraine pain, compared with placebo. Migraine attacks also improved in the grape seed group, but the clear difference from placebo was in CGRP.
- Memorial Sloan Kettering notes that early studies in people suggest grape seed extract can raise antioxidant activity in the blood, and that reviews are mixed on whether it lowers inflammation markers.
COLLAGEN
- A 2024 review of lab studies on tooth roots found that proanthocyanidins (the same family of compounds found in grape seed) helped protect the collagen in teeth from breaking down. Grape seed extract itself didn't stand out in that review. These were lab studies on teeth, so we don't know yet how this applies to collagen in the rest of the body.
MAST CELLS
- Older lab study (2006): larger grape seed proanthocyanidins kept mast-cell-like cells from releasing their contents, while smaller ones did not. This was a lab study only.
- Grape seed extract hasn't been shown to calm mast cells in people. It is not an antihistamine or a proven mast cell stabilizer.
A note from me: this list doesn't cover everything. Grape seed extract may offer more benefits than I've included here. I'm sharing the uses that are best known or most studied as of today, from sources I trust. Research keeps growing, and one post can only cover so much.
BEFORE YOU START
- Read the warning on each bottle.
- Grape seed extract may raise the risk of bleeding. Talk with your doctor first if you take blood thinners.
- If you're pregnant or nursing, talk with your doctor first. Some of the products above ask you to do this.
- Always ask your doctor before adding anything new.
MY EXPERIENCE
I take grape seed extract every day as part of Find Relief.
FIND RELIEF HIGHLIGHT
- Grape seed extract is in Find Relief, at 25 mg (standardized to 95% proanthocyanidins) per 3-capsule serving.
- People in the studies in this post often took 200 mg or more a day. Dr. Thoring included grape seed extract in a smaller amount on purpose, because the ingredients in Find Relief are chosen to work together.
- How it works with ginkgo and green tea extract: grape seed helps protect the lining of blood vessels, capillaries and collagen, ginkgo supports healthy blood flow in the tiny blood vessels and mental clarity, and green tea adds antioxidant protection for blood vessels and nerves. Together they support circulation and clear thinking.
FIND RELIEF - GINKGO BILOBA, GRAPE SEED EXTRACT, AND GREEN TEA EXTRACT: CIRCULATION AND COGNITIVE SUPPORT
- How it works with rutin and quercetin: quercetin helps balance the release of histamine and other chemicals at the start, while rutin and grape seed help support the strength of blood vessels and connective tissue that those chemicals can affect.
FIND RELIEF - RUTIN, QUERCETIN, AND GRAPE SEED EXTRACT: VASCULAR AND CONNECTIVE-TISSUE PROTECTION
- Grape seed also plays a smaller, supporting part in the formula's histamine and mast-cell support:
FIND RELIEF - HISTAMINE AND MAST-CELL SUPPORT
- See every Find Relief post in one place:
FIND RELIEF DIRECTORY
MORE RESEARCH WITH MIXED RESULTS
- Memory in older adults: in a 2023 trial of 71 adults age 60 and up with mild memory problems (mild cognitive impairment), 320 mg a day for 6 months did not improve thinking scores more than placebo.
- Memory in young adults: in a 2022 trial of 60 healthy adults age 18 to 30, 400 mg a day for 12 weeks did not consistently improve thinking.
RELATED POSTS
RUTIN
QUERCETIN
RESVERATROL
SOURCES
Memorial Sloan Kettering, About Herbs: Grape Seed (2022)
Bae et al., VICTORY trial, grape seed extract and varicose veins (2026)
Kim et al., grape seed extract vs. vein medicine trial (2024)
Eshaghian et al., grape seed extract and migraine trial (2025)
Monici Silva et al., collagen cross-linking lab review (2024)
Kondo et al., grape seed proanthocyanidins and mast-cell-like cells, lab study (2006, older source, still worth reading)
Li et al., grape seed extract and mild cognitive impairment trial (2023)
Bell et al., grape seed extract and thinking in young adults (2022)
Disclaimer: Rise Above Lyme makes no claims about any possible benefit of using any product mentioned within this site. Always consult with your doctor before adding anything. The information shared is based on personal experience, years of accumulated researched resources from Lyme Literate doctors and polls conducted within Lyme groups from actual patient experience using these solution ideas.
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