Looking at the worldwide data, lung cancer is the second most common cancer. It is also the leading cause of death due to cancer for both men and women. Although smokers have a higher chance of getting lung cancer, non-smokers are not immune to this disease. Today, the treatment of lung cancer hugely relies on radiotherapy. The patient undergoing radiotherapy is prone to radiation-related injuries. Grape seed extract can help the patients recover and even help the treatment to get better. Recent lab studies have shown many remarkable results for the use of grape seed extract for lung cancer treatment.

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Precursor

Grape seeds are plant-based derivatives. We have long known that bioactive compounds in grape seed extracts selectively target many types of cancer cells. The medicinal use of plants and other natural extracts can be traced back for centuries in different cultures. Despite this history, it is only recently that technology has made it possible to truly explore the link between plants and a particular disease, cancer.

The grape seed extract is derived from the oil derived from the ground grapes of red wine. The extract contains a substance called proanthocyanidins, which have antioxidant properties. There is accumulating evidence pointing to the beneficial effects of fruit and vegetable consumption in reducing the risk of various types of cancer. There is plenty of evidence from research that supports that GSE has an antineoplastic and chemopreventive effect against lung cancer.

Grape seed extract for lung cancer

Grape seed extract contains proanthocyanins- an antioxidant. It is believed to be superior even to vitamin C and vitamin E. This is the reason for GSE becoming such a popular dietary supplement nowadays. The grape seed proanthocyanins (GSP) have shown a radioprotective effect on the lung cells. Hence, improving the success of radiotherapy and recovery after the treatment. Besides, it also helps to kill the lung cancer cells, at the same leaving the healthy cells untouched and protected.

As said earlier, radiation therapy is one of the widely used treatments for lung cancer. Radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) is a common serious complication and dose-limiting factor in radiation therapy for lung cancer. One of the main reasons to limit the clinical use of radiation protectants in patients with lung cancer treated with radiation therapy is that existing radiation protectants provide protective effects on both normal and lung cancer tissues.

In another study, a model of mice with lung cancer was established, and as a result, grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSP) showed a radioprotective effect on normal lung tissue and a radiation-sensitising effect on lung cancer tissue. Therefore, GSP is expected to be a highly ideal radioprotective drug for lung cancer patients treated with radiation therapy. The study also shows that GSE induces apoptosis in lung cancer cells.

How to take the GSE?

When it comes to adding this wonderful chemopreventive agent to your lifestyle, then you have plenty of options. It comes in all sorts of concentrations and forms to deliver you the benefits of GSE. You can either go for the liquid form or take it as a pill or a capsule to be taken orally. You can use it this way: take 10 drops of the grape seed extract concentrate liquid in a glass of fresh juice or water. Drink it with the meal or without a meal. You can drink this solution up to 3 times a day.

If you choose to take capsules then take a capsule once or twice a day. Whatever option you may choose, ensure that you have a proper consultation with your physician or specialist before making any decision. This will help you know the exact dosage and if you can go for the GSE or GSE-based products.

When to avoid GSE?

If you are taking warfarin or other anticoagulants then you should avoid GSE intake. According to laboratory studies, grape seeds can increase the risk of bleeding. You are taking a CYP3A4 substrate drug and or, UGT substrate drugs. Laboratory studies suggest that grape seeds may increase the risk of side effects. Although clinical relevance has not yet been determined.

Side effects and risks involved

Every drug has some kind of side effects. GSE is no exception to that. The grape seed extract is generally safe. Headache, itching of the scalp, dizziness, and nausea are some of the side effects of using GSE.

If you ask for the risk involved with the GSE then, people with grape allergies should not use grape seed extract. Another thing to consider would be: If you have a bleeding disorder or high blood pressure, consult your doctor before starting to use grape seed extract.

People receiving some kind of medication should consult their doctors before starting to use grape seed extract. GSE may interact with anticoagulants, NSAID analgesics (aspirin, Advil, alive, etc.), certain heart medications, and medications such as cancer treatments.

Summing up

We believe that you might have to know about Grape seed extract. GSE has shown great hopes for treating lung cancer in many kinds of research due to its radioprotective properties. It has chemopreventive and cancer-fighting properties which will not only help to inhibit the growth of the cancer cells and even kill the cancer cells but also the cancer stem cells. So, it will help to upgrade the contemporary medical treatment to fight lung cancer in a better way. One point worth noting is that GSE works for other types of cancer like skin, breast, prostate, and colon cancer. There have been studies supporting the efficacy of GSE against these kinds of cancer as well.

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Reference:

1. Gupta M, Dey S, Marbaniang D, Pal P, Ray S, Mazumder B. Grape seed extract: having potential health benefits. J Food Sci Technol. 2020 Apr;57(4):1205-1215. doi:10.1007/s13197-019-04113-w. Epub 2019 Sep 30. PMID: 32180617; PMCID: PMC7054588.
2. Sochorova L, Prusova B, Cebova M, Jurikova T, Mlcek J, Adamkova A, Nedomova S, Baron M, Sochor J. Health Effects of Grape Seed and Skin Extracts and Their Influence on Biochemical Markers. Molecules. 2020 Nov 14;25(22):5311. doi:10.3390/molecules25225311. PMID: 33202575; PMCID: PMC7696942.