Is Grape Seed Extract Good for the Eyes?

Grapes have been an integral part of human culture and cuisine for thousands of years. They provide a highly nutritious food source and have been used, along with the leaves, in various folk remedies for conditions ranging from sore throat to cancer, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Grape seeds, chock full of powerful antioxidants, have caught the interest of scientists and the health-conscious public and may offer benefits for a variety of health conditions, including some related to visual health.

Night Vision

Night vision may improve with grape seed extract supplementation, the University of Maryland Medical Center reports. A study published in the April 2012 issue "Current Eye Research" found that antioxidants in grape seeds protect cells in the retina, which are responsible for your ability to distinguish colors and to see in low-light conditions. In the tissue culture study, grape seed extract quenched free radicals, reversed oxidative damage and protected retinal cells from stress-induced early demise.

Macular Degeneration

Oligomeric proanthocyanins in grape seed extract may help prevent or slow the development of macular degeneration, a condition involving loss of the central field of vision, according to medicinal chemistry lecture notes from the University of Washington. Dr. Theresa Graedon, co-author of "The People's Pharmacy Guide to Home and Herbal Remedies," recommends grape seed extract for slowing macular degeneration as well as reducing visual stress caused by computer screens. Doses of 50 to 100 mg per day are common for general health and wellness. Therapeutic doses for particular conditions may go as high as 300 mg per day.

Cataract Prevention

Cataracts might be preventable, in part, by grape seed extract use, according to a tissue culture study published in the January 2011 "Molecular Vision." In the study, grape seed extract reduced oxidative damage to human lens cells exposed to hydrogen peroxide. Researchers concluded that grape seed extract may be useful for preventing or reversing oxidative damage that can lead to cataract formation. A laboratory animal study published in the June 2006 issue of "Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery" found that doses of 100 mg per kilogram body weight of grape seed proanthocyanidins effectively prevented cataract formation. Further clinical trials are needed to confirm these preliminary results.

 

Considerations

Safety of grape seed extract was addressed in a laboratory animal study published in the March 2001 "Research Communications in Molecular Pathology and Pharmacology." Short-term testing showed that grape seed extract was safe when given in single doses as high as 5,000 mg per kilogram body weight. Long-term tests showed that grape seed extract produced no toxic effects to the brain, heart, intestine, kidney, liver, lung or spleen at doses of 100 mg per kilogram body weight for 12 months.


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