To be clear, I will be discussing Grape Seed Proanthocyanidin Extract which is typically referred to as GSPE or more commonly as GSE, but this is not to be confused with Grapefruit Seed Extract, which is also commonly referred to as GSE, but these are two very different supplements with different effects.
Last week I had breakfast with a group of friends and one friend told me that their doctor had just diagnosed her with adult onset Asthma. The doctor told her that this will likely be with her for the rest of her life and he prescribed her an inhaler that contains a steroid. She said she felt like the inhaler did not seem to be helping her much as she still felt tightness, congestion and discomfort. She said that she had heard that long term steroid use could cause other health issues and asked me about any alternatives that might be useful. I told her that I was aware of a few possible remedies, but suggested she only try one at a time until she found one that would be effective for her.
I suggested Grape Seed Extract (GSE) at high dose because I know it is usually well tolerated and has potential to offer other health benefits other than just asthma relief, due at least partially to its potent antioxidant activities, its anti inflammatory effects as well as its gut microbiome manipulating effects. I further told her that the GSE should at a minimum allow her to use her inhaler less often as she was using it everyday with only minimal relief at 3 uses per day.
The following study illustrates how GSE may be helpful for relief from asthma by reducing airway inflammation:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8856085/
Here is a relevant quote from the study:
"Nrf2-miR-29b axis is involved in the pathogenesis of severe asthma (SA). GSPE, as an adjuvant drug, maybe a potential therapeutic agent for SA."
In the following in vitro cell study, it is shown that two other potential mechanisms of action by GSE may be through reduction of mucin production and inhibition of Respiratory Synctial Virus (RSV) which is one of the most common causes of asthma :
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28502165/
Here is an important quote from the study :
"We found that GSP significantly decreased RSV-induced mucin synthesis at the mRNA and protein levels. In addition, GSP suppressed the RSV-induced signaling pathways, including extracellular signal-regulated kinase, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and p38, together with nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and activating protein-1 family members (c-Jun and c-Fos). Concomitantly, GSP inhibited the replication of RSV within A549 cells. Taken together, all our results suggest that GSP could be a potent therapeutic agent to suppress excessive mucus production and viral replication in RSV-induced airway inflammatory disorders."
As we continued the conversation, she told me she was going to buy the GSE that day! So we had a good visit over breakfast and she told me she would contact me later in the week after she was taking the GSE for awhile.
At the end of last week she called to say the GSE seemed to really be helping her. She first mentioned that her digestion had improved and she was no longer feeling bloated and her bowel movements were more regular, as in daily. She also mentioned that her chest congestion was clearing up, but she was still using her inhaler at two puffs, 3 times a day.
Today she texted me to let me know that her digestion feels normal, no more bloating, very regular, no chest congestion and she has not had to use her inhaler for two days! Previously she was using her inhaler everyday. She also said, with excitement, that she feels normal again! I felt very happy for her as she said she has been feeling overall bad for over a year and now, "she feels normal again" and is very happy with the results so far! I also reminded her to keep the inhaler with her at all times just to be safe.
She told me she is taking the recommended dose on the bottle of GSE. That dose is 3 capsules per day in one dose with food for a total of 1200 mg of GSE per day.
It is early days in her test of GSE for asthma and I will post if she shares any further updates with me. I wanted to share this information with the EC community because GSE is not currently listed in the EC asthma section and these are really exceptional results in a relatively short period of time even though she is relatively newly diagnosed!
Art
Have you ever tried grape seed extract for asthma? Please send us your feedback!
