Used as a dietary supplement, either as a food additive or encapsulated, 100-300 mg per day.

Grape Skin extract contains a mix of substances, some of which are found in grape seeds and some in red wine.

These substances include nonbioflavonoid polyphenols (derivatives of cinnamic and benzoic acid) and bioflavonoid polyphenols (collectively known as Proanthocyanidins or 'PCOs' for procyanidolic oligomers). One of these ingredients, resveratrol, was found to have antiplatelet aggregating activity.

Red wine has gotten a lot of press recently, sometimes being called the 'French Paradox.' The reason for this is that, while Frenchmen have a high-fat diet, they have one-third as many heart attacks as American men, although they have similar high cholesterol and blood pressure levels as their American counterparts. The main reason for this effect are the bioflavonoid polyphenols (see also Grape Seed Extract) from the grape skin, not the alcohol content of the wine.

A recent study shows that a particular polyphenol in grape skins, resveratrol, inhibits blood platelet aggregation. The difference between red and white wine is that red wine is fermented with the grape skins, while white wine has the skins removed prior to fermentation. So, red wine contains the beneficial resveratrol, while white wine does not. This is one way that red wine consumption protects the heart.

PCOs are a special class of water soluble bioflavonoids that are potent antioxidants. In some comparative tests, PCOs were found to be 50 times more potent than Vitamin E and 20 times more potent than Vitamin C.

The oxygen atom, which in a stable state has four pairs of electrons, becomes unstable when it loses an electron. An oxygen atom with seven electrons is referred to as a free radical. Free radicals quickly attach themselves to body tissues in order to stabilize themselves. The free radical takes an electron from the membrane of a body tissue and by doing so, produces yet another free radical, which then is obliged by its charge to seek out another electron - in your body. What results is a cascade of oxidations - literally rusting body tissues. Free radical oxidation is a contributory factor in much chronic degenerative disease.

PCOs protect skin from sun damage. Many European skin creams feature grape seed extract as an aid to skin elasticity. PCOs help keep collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid healthy by blocking enzymes that disrupt their chemical structure. This can be of profound use to theose who suffer from eczema and psoriasis.

PCOs prevent blood platelet stickiness better than aspirin, and thus can be of significant help to those with heart problems.

PCOs are commonly prescribed by physicians in Europe for various disorders that are likely to benefit from increased blood flow, such as diabetes, leg cramps and varicose veins.

PCOs support capillary strength. Weak capillaries can contribute to bruising, elastin and collagen dysfunction, edema and circulatory insufficiencies.

Repeated double-blind tests have shown PCOs to quickly improve capillary strength in the elderly. Human clinical studies show that 300 mg per day can quickly repair ruptured capillaries, thus alleviating water retention and such effects of edema as puffy eyes, swollen feet, and the bloating associated with premenstrual syndrome.

PCOs improve blood flow in the eye's capillaries, and thus is prescribed for eye problems of the elderly, such as macular degeneration and cataracts.

By protecting immune cells against enzyme degradation, PCOs alleviate allergies and hayfever.

PCOs can also lower cholesterol and prevent LDL oxidation. PCOs prevent LDL cholesterol oxidation better than vitamin C, and prevent bacteria from adhering to urinary tract membranes.