Grape Seed Extract Helps Fight Against Bowel Cancer

A study found that grape seed extract when combined with chemotherapy helps aid bowel cancer treatment.

Grape seed extract has long been touted as a miracle cure for numerous health issues. Several studies have shown how grape seed extract can help in treating various health conditions of the liver, kidney and even chronic diseases like cancer.

Adding to the evidence of its benefits, researchers at the University of Adelaide, claim that combining grape seeds extract with chemotherapy could help improve bowel cancer treatment.

This is the first time that researchers have shown how grape seed aids the effectiveness of chemotherapy in destroying colon cancer cells. It also lowers the harsh side effects of chemotherapy. This new combined approach doesn't just minimize intestinal damage triggered by chemo but also boosts the effects.

Sourced from the crushed seeds of grape plant, grape seed extracts are rich in proanthocyanidin that protects blood vessels and the cardiovascular system. Proanthocyanidin are flavonoids, which are a related subgroup of tannins.  

Lead author Dr Amy Cheah focused on the amount of evidence available on the health benefits of grape seed tannins or polyphenols.

"This is the first study showing that grape seed can enhance the potency of one of the major chemotherapy drugs in its action against colon cancer cells," says Dr Cheah, researcher in the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine. "Our research also showed that in laboratory studies grape seed taken orally significantly reduced inflammation and tissue damage caused by chemotherapy in the small intestine, and had no harmful effects on non-cancerous cells. Unlike chemotherapy, grape seed appears to selectively act on cancer cells and leave healthy cells almost unaffected."

In order to prove the hypothesis, the experts used commercially available grape seeds- a byproduct of winemaking. They extracted tannins from the grape seed and later froze and dried it. It was then powdered and tested on colon cancer cells cultured in a lab.

The researchers noticed that the grape seed extract offered no side effects when the concentration remained at 1000mg/kg. Also it dramatically lowered the damage caused to the intestine when compared to the chemotherapy control. 

The extract lowered inflammation caused by chemotherapy by almost 55 percent. It helped in enhancing the growth-inhibitory effects of chemotherapy on colon cancer cells by nearly 26 percent.

Dr Cheah adds that this study reveals how grape seed extract protect the healthy cells present in the gastrointestinal tract. 

Initially the researchers were doubtful whether the use of grape seeds could significantly lower the painful effects of chemotherapy. But they were surprised to see that the extract didn't just boost the ability of chemotherapy in destroying cancer cells but also was more potent when compared to chemotherapy.

Co-author and project leader Professor Gordon Howarth says: "Grape seed is showing great potential as an anti-inflammatory treatment for a range of bowel diseases and now as a possible anti-cancer treatment. These first anti-cancer results are from cell culture and the next step will be to investigate more widely."

Studies have shown the grape seed extract helps treating diabetes related complications, high blood pressure, age related macular degeneration and Alzheimer's disease.

The finding was documented in the journal PLOS One.