Milan, Italy—New research offers further support for why grape seed extract may support heart health.

The study involved 119 people with either pre- or mild hypertension. A control group was established plus two treatment groups. Everyone in the treatment groups was given either 150 mg/day or 300 mg/day of a branded grape seed extract (Enovita, from Idena, based here); heart rate, blood pressure and circulation were observed along with oxidative status via a blood test.

After four months, the treatment groups had significant improvement in blood pressure over the control. None of the participants took anything to lower blood pressure. Gianni Belcaro of the Department of Biomedical Science, Gabriele D’Annunzio University Chieti-Pescara, head of the study, concluded, “Taken together, our data suggest that GSPs, at least in the profile associated to Indena’s Enovita, are worth considering to complement dietary and lifestyle changes associated with the maintenance of a healthy blood pressure status, with beneficial cardiovascular effect.”

The data are published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Published in WholeFoods Magazine, November 2013