Obesity: Grape Seed Oil May Provide Weight-Loss Clue

Researchers at the University of Florida have found that muscadeine grape seed oil may provide a clue into reducing obesity.

These grapes can usually be seen in the south and are typically used to make wine and juice. In fact, thousands of tons of the solid byproduct emerge after grape juice production. Yet could they possibly hold a key to weight-loss? 

"Our interest has been to find a value-added capability of these waste streams," Marty Marshall, a UF professor of food science and human nutrition, said in a news release. He added that this may be another use for the grape "waste." 

A new study found that the oil from the grapes may help to mitigate the formation of new fat cells as they produce tocotrienol, an unsaturated form of Vitamin E. Researchers noted that this could be a valuable addition to the market of edible oils as it's unique source of tocotrienol along with being a good source of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Prior to the study, scientists attributed most tocotrienol benefits to red palm and rice bran oil. However, recent studies have shown that rice bran oils help to lower cholesterol and that muscadine grape seed oil could also be considered a superior source of tocotrienol.

For the study, researchers took muscadine grapes grown near Tallahassee and extracted them from the fruit's seeds. Findings revealed that unsaturated fatty acids reached 85 to 90 percent of total fatty acids.

"Thus, consuming foods made with muscadine grape seed oil could curtail weight gain by reducing obesity," Marshall concluded.

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal Food and Function. 

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