Individuals who eat excess calories who want to keep their weight under control may benefit from taking Grape Seed Extract before meals. Dutch researchers at the University of Maastricht published an article in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition showing Grape Seed Extract helped to reduce the number of calories that individuals consumed.
Grape Seed Extract is a supplement with wide ranging benefits. It can improve blood circulation; animal studies have shown that it reduces the chance of prostate cancer, and studies have shown that it reduces the chance of skin cancer. In-vitro studies have shown that it can halt the conversion of testosterone into estradiol by the enzyme aromatase.
In test tube studies Grape Seed Extract also stimulates lipolysis: the release of fatty acids by fat cells into the bloodstream. [Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2000 Mar; 24(3): 319-24.] This may mean that Grape Seed Extract suppresses the appetite, and to find out whether this is the case the Dutch researchers did an experiment with 51 test subjects aged from 18-65. The researchers let their test subjects eat as much as they wanted during a three-day stay in a laboratory. About 30 to 60 minutes before their breakfast, lunch and dinner the subjects took a supplement containing 100 mg Grape Seed Extract. A couple of weeks later the researchers repeated the experiment, but gave their subjects a placebo.
In the subjects with an above average energy consumption Grape Seed Extract did reduce energy intake. The average energy intake of this group was 2030 kcal per day.
Among the people who consumed large amounts of calories the Grape Seed Extract supplement reduced their energy intake by 96 kcal per day.
Dominick Walsh is a blogger for Performance Nutrition and TMRzoo.com and covers all men’s health topics and exercise issues including protein powders, diets, weight loss, weight lifting supplements, fat burners and supplement reviews. Dominick’s columns cover everything you need to know about your pre, during and post workout nutrition.
