OPC the Super Antioxidant
OPC is an antioxidant produced mainly from grape seed extract and pine bark extract that can have a dramatic effect on your well being and your life. Its known all over the world as the Super Antioxidant.
I was introduced to OPC over seven years ago. This lens is about my personal experience with OPC since then. It's about how and why to use the powerful, natural, free-radical neutralizers produced from pine bark extract and grape seed extract.
Enjoy.....
Jason
I was introduced to OPC over seven years ago. This lens is about my personal experience with OPC since then. It's about how and why to use the powerful, natural, free-radical neutralizers produced from pine bark extract and grape seed extract.
Enjoy.....
Jason
Table of Contents
Please feel free to leave me some comments at the end of my lens. I'd love to hear from you.
OPC Antioxidants - What are They?
Why should you care?
OPC is a naturally occurring antioxidant found in a variety of fruits, plant life and vegetables. OPC's are known as polyphenols or flavonoids. Antioxidants are free radical scavengers that protect your body at the cellular level from normal "oxidative" damage.
The reason that's important is because free radical damage has been linked to virtually every chronic degenerative disease known to man including heart disease, arthritis, cancer, cardiovascular disease and a large number of chronic diseases that are associated with aging.
OPC is short for Oligomeric proanthocyanidin. The two main sources of OPC are pine bark extract, called Pycnogenol and grape seed extract. Pine bark extract is produced from the French Maritime Pine Tree and grape seed extract is produced from the seeds of red wine grapes.
The reason that's important is because free radical damage has been linked to virtually every chronic degenerative disease known to man including heart disease, arthritis, cancer, cardiovascular disease and a large number of chronic diseases that are associated with aging.
OPC is short for Oligomeric proanthocyanidin. The two main sources of OPC are pine bark extract, called Pycnogenol and grape seed extract. Pine bark extract is produced from the French Maritime Pine Tree and grape seed extract is produced from the seeds of red wine grapes.
Grape Seeds are a Main Source of OPC
Grape Seed Extract
Latin Name: Vitis vinifera
Grape Seed Extract (GSE) was first discovered (actually patented) in 1970 by Dr. Jacques Masquelier. He is also responsible for the original discovery of OPC in 1948.
Although both grape seed extract and pine bark extract are excellent sources of OPC, GSE is the more potent and powerful of the two. GSE has on average 10% to 15% more of the naturally occurring OPC than Pycnogenol (pine bark extract).
There are several other advantages to grape seed extract, including, among others, that it is much more economical to extract the OPC from grape seeds rather than pine bark.
In Europe, where OPC has been used and studied for decades, prescriptions and sales of OPC derived from GSE are 400 times greater than those derived from pine bark.
Although both grape seed extract and pine bark extract are excellent sources of OPC, GSE is the more potent and powerful of the two. GSE has on average 10% to 15% more of the naturally occurring OPC than Pycnogenol (pine bark extract).
There are several other advantages to grape seed extract, including, among others, that it is much more economical to extract the OPC from grape seeds rather than pine bark.
In Europe, where OPC has been used and studied for decades, prescriptions and sales of OPC derived from GSE are 400 times greater than those derived from pine bark.
Pine Bark is also a Main Source of OPC
Pine Bark Extract
Dr. Jacques Masquelier of the University of Bordeaux, France, discovered a complex of proanthocyanidin compounds found in a variety of plants including pine bark, grape seed, lemon tree bark, peanuts, cranberries and citrus peels. He coined the term Pycnogenols to describe this complex.
In 1951, Dr. Masquelier patented the extraction of OPC (at that time known as Pycnogenol) from the pine bark of the French Maritime Tree.
Pine bark extract made a splash in Europe immediately due to its effectiveness as an antioxidant and free radical scavenger. As discussed above, had it not been for Masquelier's discovery of the even more powerful OPC's found in grape seed extract, pine bark extract would still be the preferred source of OPC antioxidants.
In 1951, Dr. Masquelier patented the extraction of OPC (at that time known as Pycnogenol) from the pine bark of the French Maritime Tree.
Pine bark extract made a splash in Europe immediately due to its effectiveness as an antioxidant and free radical scavenger. As discussed above, had it not been for Masquelier's discovery of the even more powerful OPC's found in grape seed extract, pine bark extract would still be the preferred source of OPC antioxidants.
OPC Antioxidant Resource Guide
Here are some of my recommendations for further reading:
OPC, Sandy and Me
How I discovered OPC
Seven years ago I was in a pretty bad car accident that left me with a shattered right heel. Although I have to tell you, if you saw the car after the accident, you wouldn't have believed I lived through it and I consider myself extremely lucky.
Anyway, surgery wasn't necessary, but quite a bit of rehab was. During the rehab, one of my nurses, Sandy, suggested some vitamin supplementation to help my body out with the healing process. At the time, the only thing I was taking regularly was a multi-vitamin.
Long story short, Sandy suggested OPC in the form of Grape Seed Extract, Pine Bark Extract, or both. Since that conversation, I have not let one day go by without feeding my body some form of OPC.
Anyway, surgery wasn't necessary, but quite a bit of rehab was. During the rehab, one of my nurses, Sandy, suggested some vitamin supplementation to help my body out with the healing process. At the time, the only thing I was taking regularly was a multi-vitamin.
Long story short, Sandy suggested OPC in the form of Grape Seed Extract, Pine Bark Extract, or both. Since that conversation, I have not let one day go by without feeding my body some form of OPC.
Disclaimer
I'm not a doctor or a health care practitioner and the FDA has not reviewed my lens. Please keep in mind the information you find here is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any ailment or disease. But I do hope it helps.
OPC Antioxidant News
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