Resveratrol Recommended Dosage

 

Resveratrol Recommended DosageResveratrol, a natural polyphenolic compound, is produced by a variety of plants, such as grapes, peanuts and some berries, in response to various biotic and abiotic stresses, including stress, injury, UV-radiation and bacterial and fungal infection. Emerging scientific evidence suggests that resveratrol might be a potent anticancer candidate. The antitumor actions are largely attributed to the antioxidant property of resveratrol. It is also available as a dietary supplement. Consult your doctor to determine whether resveratrol supplements are safe for you.

Pharmacological Doses

As of 2011, there have not been many clinical trials and observations to determine the optimal pharmacological doses of resveratrol. The results of several animal studies conducted by the New York Langone Medical Center suggest that daily doses of 500mg of resveratrol might be safe and potent.

Standardized Grape Seed Extract

Resveratrol from grape seeds has been widely studied for its potential chemopreventive and therapeutic effects. Grape seeds are preventive agents against various human diseases associated with free radicals, including diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Grape seed extract is available as a supplement in several forms such as capsules, tablets and liquid extracts. The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends 25mg to 150mg of a standardized grape seed extract per day to protect your body from oxidative damage caused by free radicals.

What Is the Difference Between Resveratrol & Grape Seed Extract?

What Is the Difference Between Resveratrol & Grape Seed Extract?

Both resveratrol and grape seed extract are derived from grapes, but unlike grape seed, resveratrol is extracted from grape skins like those used to make red wine. Although both substances have similar actions in the body, they each have some individual recommended medicinal uses. You might take grape seed extract for different health benefits than resveratrol. Before you begin taking either alternative remedy, consult your doctor to discuss the correct dosage and possible drug interactions.

Identification

Resveratrol is also found in peanuts and purple grape juice. Because resveratrol is found in the highest concentrations in red wine, wine is considered the main dietary source of resveratrol. Grape seed extract is taken from the seeds or from whole grapes. Grape seed extract contains substantial amounts of flavonoids, vitamin E and linoleic acid, among other important constituents.

Function

Both resveratrol and grape seed extract act as powerful antioxidants in the body. Antioxidants combat free radicals, which can attack and kill your body’s cells, as well as damage cell DNA. Antioxidants also play a role in certain medical conditions like heart disease and cancer, as well as in aging. The antioxidant actions in grape seed extract are attributed to the constituents known as oligomerica proanthocyanidin complexes, or OPCs, while resveratrol itself is a constituent of grape skins that bears the antioxidant effects. Additionally, resveratrol is considered a phytoestrogen, which is a plant-based substance that acts in a similar way to the estrogen hormone in your body.

Grape Seed Extract and Skin Benefits

Grape Seed Extract and Skin Benefits

Grapes have been used for centuries to treat numerous conditions, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. The leaves of the vine were used to treat inflammation and pain, and the unripened grapes were used to soothe sore throats. The grape seeds are even beneficial, as they are the source of grape seed extract, which offers several of its own medicinal benefits. Grape seed extract is available in the form of liquid, capsules or tablets. For benefits to the skin, it can be taken internally or applied topically.

Skin Protection

Antioxidants protect cells from unstable molecules that can cause damage to healthy cells on the skin and in the body, according to the National Cancer Institute. Two of the most famous antioxidants are vitamins E and C. Grape seed extract contains several plant compounds, including oligomeric proanthocyanidins, or OPCs. OPCs are powerful antioxidants, and according to a report from the Food Research Center in Guelph, Canada, OPCs in grape seed extract contain 20 times the antioxidant power of vitamin E and 50 times the antioxidant power of vitamin C. The report, published in the Winter 2003 issue of “Journal of Medicinal Food,” states that grape seed extract can protect the body from sun damage. The sun can damage skin by causing wrinkles, pigment changes and skin cancer.

Grapefruit Seed Extract for Skin Care

Grapefruit Seed Extract for Skin Care

Grapefruit is more than a tasty food. Oil extracted from its rind, pulp and seeds is used in eco-friendly surface cleaners and as a safe and natural vegetable and fruit wash. Grapefruit seed extract, meanwhile, offers benefits to the skin. Grapefruit seed extract is available as a powder, but its most common form is liquid.

Properties

Grapefruit is rich in natural ingredients that nourish and protect the skin, including vitamins A, C and E and antioxidants. It also boasts essential phytonutrients — such as lycopene, beta-carotene and bioflavonoids — that promote cellular health. Some of these benefits can be gained by topical application. An extract provides the most concentrated form of a substance.

Fungicidal Skin Benefits

For people who love the skincare benefits of tea tree oil but prefer a citrus aroma, grapefruit seed extract is a good alternative. The effectiveness of grapefruit seed extract as a topical fungicide has been demonstrated in products to treat athlete’s foot and fungal infections of fingernails and toenails. The extract also is known to kill many strains of fungi, bacteria, viruses and parasites on the skin. Grapefruit seed extract usually is safe enough to apply full-strength to affected areas of skin on the body but may be too strong full-strength for sensitive facial skin.

Kiwi Fruit for Skin Care

 

Kiwi Fruit for Skin Care

Kiwis are natives of the China’s Yangzte River Valley, but today are grown commercially worldwide. The fuzzy brown-skinned fruit with the tasty green center is loaded with nutritional benefits that rival those of many other fruits. Whether you eat them or apply the flesh to your skin, kiwis contain vitamins and other nutrients that contribute to healthy, glowing skin. When choosing a topical cream or gel that contains kiwi or kiwi extract, keep in mind that research into topical applications of kiwi is ongoing.

Firm Skin

Kiwis contain large amounts of vitamin C, which helps your body produce collagen, a connective tissue protein that helps to firm your skin. Production of collagen decreases with aging, causing skin to lose elasticity. Collagen-stimulating ingredients, like kiwi extract, may be added to skin care products to slow the appearance of aging.

Soft Skin

Vitamin C not only firms skin, it repairs it. Kiwis have more vitamin C than a comparable amount of oranges. Vitamin C helps cuts and abrasions heal and it also works to prevent rough, dry skin. In addition to skin care products that contain kiwi extract, get an internal vitamin C boost with a fresh salad of kiwi, strawberries and citrus slices to help protect skin from the inside out.

Cranberry Extract Side Effects

 

Cranberry Extract Side Effects

Herbalists may recommend the use of supplements of cranberry extract if you suffer from a urinary tract infection, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine reports. The organization recommends only using such a supplement if your physician approves it. You also may find other uses for it such as those presented by Drugs.com that include reducing bladder pain and helping to control incontinence. While cranberry extract supplements appear to have some medicinal value, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not approve it for use as a drug. Ask your doctor before taking any form of supplement.

Kidney Stones

When you use cranberry extract as a supplement, especially if you are prone to kidney stones, the raised level of oxalates in your body increases the kidney stone risk. The University of Maryland Medical Center notes that more of these chemicals in your body may produce the kidney stones, which are small, hardened bits of material. If kidney stones occur, you may find that as they travel from your kidneys to your bladder and then through the urethra that you experience severe pain. This traverse also may cause blood to appear in your urine and can damage the organs affected. If you already have had kidney stones, speak with your physician about the use of this supplement first.

Can Ginger Root Extract Cause Liver Damage?

 

Can Ginger Root Extract Cause Liver Damage?

Ginger root is an herb used in traditional medicines and cooking for hundreds of years. People use it today to treat conditions like nausea, vomiting and arthritis. It is a generally safe herbal supplement, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, but if you take it in large doses you may develop unwanted side effects. Fortunately, no evidence suggests that ginger root can adversely affect the liver. As with all supplementation, consult your physician before taking ginger root extract.

Ginger Root Extract Dosing

Ginger root extract is available in a liquid form. It is a powerful concentration of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that can bolster your health. The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends about 1.5 to 3 mL, or 30-90 drops from an eye dropper, of ginger root extract daily. Find the appropriate children’s dosage by dividing the child’s weight, in pounds, by 150 and multiplying the adult dosage by the resulting number. Do not give ginger root extract to children younger than two years of age.

What Is Grape Seed Extract Used For?

What Is Grape Seed Extract Used For?

Grape seed extract is an herbal remedy that may reduce your risk for several major diseases, including heart disease and cancer. It contains a number of natural compounds with potential health benefits. The most widely studied of these belong to a class called proanthocyanidins, compounds with strong antioxidant activity. Consult your doctor to discuss whether consuming grape seed extract is appropriate for you.

Properties

Grape seed extract, or GSE, is produced from grape seeds, which are a byproduct of wine and juice production. Its proanthodyanidins are potent antioxidants, which remove free radicals from your body. These free radicals, which are byproducts of metabolism, may harm cells by damaging their membranes or DNA. Other compounds in GSE also block oxidation of lipids, including cholesterol, and modify the activity of genes important for division of abnormal cells.

Cardiovascular Benefits

Grape seed extract benefits your cardiovascular system in several ways. By interfering with oxidation of low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, it prevents its deposition in artery-blocking plaque. This lowers your risk for atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. GSE may also strengthen the walls of veins, especially those in your legs, and, if you have hypertension, it may protect your blood vessels from damage caused by elevated blood pressure. GSE also helps relieve tissue swelling after surgery or an injury by promoting movement of fluid from tissues into nearby vessels.

Adverse Reactions to Ingesting Olive Leaf Extract Capsules

Adverse Reactions to Ingesting Olive Leaf Extract Capsules

Olive leaf extract capsules are commonly used to increase your daily intake of antioxidants. Drugs.com states that olive leaf extract capsules do not have any reported cases of adverse reactions. Even though no reactions have been reported, taking any new supplement can cause an allergic reaction in your body. If you notice any common allergy symptoms after taking olive leaf extract capsules, call your doctor for a further evaluation. As with any allergic reaction, a severe reaction may occur.

Allergic Reaction

An allergic reaction occurs when your immune system mistakes the olive leaf extract as a harmful substance that can pose a threat to your body. When this mistake occurs, the body quickly builds up a resistance against the supplement. The resistance consists of immunoglobulin E antibodies, histamine and other chemicals that attack the extract. The combination of these chemical releases causes various parts of your body to become swollen and inflamed. Most allergic reaction symptoms develop within a few minutes of ingesting the supplement but may take an hour or two before you notice any reactions.

Horse Chestnut Extract for Hemorrhoids

 

Horse Chestnut Extract for Hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids, also called piles, are swollen veins in the lower portion of the rectum. Usually, they are caused by constipation, straining during bowel movements and pregnancy. Symptoms include burning, itching, swelling, and sometimes bleeding. If you think you have hemorrhoids, or if you are bleeding rectally, you should be examined by your doctor to rule out dangerous diagnoses.

Horse chestnut extract is made from the seeds of the European horse chestnut tree, and is widely used in Europe for the treatment of hemorrhoids and varicose veins. If you are interested in trying horse chestnut extract, a discussion with your doctor will help you determine whether or not you would be a good candidate for this natural treatment.

Step 1

Obtain horse chestnut extract cream or ointment from a reputable health foods store; it can also be purchased online. The preparation should certify that a toxic ingredient, called esculin, has been completely removed. Make sure the cream contains pharmaceutical grade horse chestnut with 2 percent aescin, the compound responsible for many of horse chestnut extract’s healing qualities.

Aescin appears to have the ability to repair tiny leaks in blood vessels and capillaries, improving their health, strength, and elasticity. According to the Health Library website, a clinical study of 80 people with hemorrhoids indicated that horse chestnut produced significant improvements in pain, swelling and bleeding within two weeks.

Horse chestnut extract is also available in capsule form; it should be standardized to contain 50 mg aescin per supplement.