Grape seed extract and Prostate Cancer

Grape seeds are rich in vitamin E, flavonoids, linoleic acid, and OPCs (Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins)[3], probably the reason why grape seed extracts have showed to be so effective on the treatment of high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and even hearth disease, but recent studies done on other anti-cancer properties seen in grape seed extracts have showed this natural product may have some benefits and potential use on the treatment of Prostate Cancer.

VITIS VINIFERA

Family: Vitaceae
Genus: Vitis
Common name: Common grape vine

GRAPE SEED EXTRACT FOR PROSTATE CANCER

Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancers. Several studies and clinical trials have been made on the subject, there is evidence about the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and other anticancer properties of some supplements and extracts, or at least that's what some studies done on rodent models have shown, but until now there was no epidemiological study on the association between non-vitamin, non-mineral supplements use and prostate cancer.

Another study on the subject, where 35,239 male participants in the VITamins and Lifestyle (VITAL) cohort study, aged between 50-76 years, showed how any use of grapeseed supplements was associated with a 41% reduced risk of total prostate cancer, however the same study mentioned that as evidence is limited, it should not yet be promoted for prevention of prostate cancer [4].

As another study shows, piceatannol (trans-3,4,3',5'-tetrahydroxystilbene), a polyphenol found in grapes, red wine, Rheum undulatum, and the seeds of Euphorbia lagasca, could be one of the reasons grape seeds exert these anti-cancer properties, as it inhibits the proliferation of a variety of cancer cell types, and induced apoptosis (natural cell death). The study was focused on investigating the effects of piceatannol on the growth of androgen-insensitive DU145 prostate cancer cells [5].

RESULTS OF THE STUDY ON GRAPE SEED EXTRACTS

The results presented in this cohort study, done among residents of Washington state during two years, with a total 35,239 male participants in the range 50 to 76 years, are quite astonishing:

• Among the 35,239 participants a total of 1,602 incident invasive prostate cancers were observed
• Use of grape seed supplements was associated with a 41% reduced risk of total prostate cancer
• There were no associations for use of chondroitin, coenzyme Q10, fish oil, garlic, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, glucosamine, or saw palmetto

RESOURCES:

[1] Specialty Supplements and Prostate Cancer Risk in the Vitamins And Lifestyle (VITAL) Cohort.
Brasky TM, Kristal AR, Navarro SL, Lampe JW, Peters U, Patterson RE, White E.
Cancer Prevention Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA.

[2] Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO 80262, and University of Colorado Cancer Center, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO 80262, USA.

[3] Wikipedia.

[4] Specialty supplements and prostate cancer risk in the VITamins and Lifestyle (VITAL) cohort.
Brasky TM, Kristal AR, Navarro SL, Lampe JW, Peters U, Patterson RE, White E.
Source
Cancer Prevention Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109-1024, USA.

[5] The grape component piceatannol induces apoptosis in DU145 human prostate cancer cells via the activation of extrinsic and intrinsic pathways.
Kim EJ, Park H, Park SY, Jun JG, Park JH.
Center for Efficacy Assessment and Development of Functional Foods and Drugs, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea.

[6] Plant names: Porcher Michel H. et al. 1995 - 2020, Sorting  Vitis Names. Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database   (M.M.P.N.D)  - A Work in Progress. School of Agriculture and Food Systems. Faculty of Land & Food Resources. The University of Melbourne. Australia. 
< http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Vitis.html > (2007).

[7] Suppression of estrogen biosynthesis by procyanidin dimers in red wine and grape seeds.
Eng ET, Ye J, Williams D, Phung S, Moore RE, Young MK, Gruntmanis U, Braunstein G, Chen S.
City of Hope Graduate School of Biological Science,Department of Surgical Research, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, California 91010, USA.