| Heart Protection After Menopause Grapeseed's antioxidant effect by Allison Sarubin Fragakis, RD New studies have largely dismissed any heart-protective benefits of hormone therapy for postmenopausal women, leaving many to wonder where to turn. Scientists scrambling for an answer have returned to the so-called French Paradox--low levels of heart disease in a country famous for its fatty cuisine. And while the evidence has always pointed to Frenchmen's fondness for red wine, the focus has narrowed to the heart of the grape--its seed. "We suspect that grapeseed may help replace the antioxidant effect you lose when you lose estrogen," says J. Michael Wyss, PhD, neurobiology professor at the University of Alabama School of Medicine. In a recent animal study, Wyss found that grapeseed extract (GSE) may help reduce the kind of high blood pressure that worsens when you eat too much salt. Allison Sarubin Fragakis, RD, is the author of The Health Professional's Guide to Popular Dietary Supplements, 2nd edition (American Dietetic Association, 2002). |
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