Grape Seed Extract as Adjunctive Cancer Therapeutic

A number of previous studies have identified potent antioxidant capacity of grape seed extract, which is high in tannins. Amy Cheah, from the University of Adelaide (Australia), and colleagues utilized commercially available grape seed extract from which tannins were extracted and subsequently tested in laboratory studies using colon cancer cells grown in culture. The team observed that grape seed extract significantly decreased intestinal damage compared to the chemotherapy alone, and decreased chemotherapy-induced inflammation by up to 55%. Importantly, grape seed extract showed no side effects on the healthy intestine at concentrations up to 1000 mg/kg.  the study authors submit that: “Grape seed extract may represent a new therapeutic option to decrease the symptoms of intestinal mucositis while concurrently impacting on the viability of colon cancer cells.”