Emerging evidence indicates that the role of Grape Seed Extract (GSE) in support of cardiovascular health may extend beyond its important antioxidant functions. Scientific studies have shown that the proprietary GSE found in LifeSource Vitamins Blood Pressure Support, MegaNatural®-BP™ contains flavonoids that can support healthy arterial function already within the healthy range through a number of mechanisms. In fact, these studies suggest that MegaNatural®-BP™ can help maintain blood pressure already within the healthy range. In addition, we have included a standardized Hawthorn Extract as a synergist. Hawthorn Extract provides powerful antioxidant flavonoids, including standardized Vitexin that, along with other components in Hawthorn, have also been found to support healthy range blood flow and healthy range blood pressure.*

• Cardiovascular Support*
• Helps maintain blood pressure already within the healthy range*
• May help people with pre-hypertension manage their condition*
• Can help suppress inflammation*
• Vegetarian Formula
• Grape Seed Extract - MegaNatural®-BP™ w/ Hawthorn Berry

Why Does LifeSource Vitamins use MegaNatural®-BP™?

MegaNatural®-BP™ is made in California from a special seed blend primarily from varietal white wine grapes. The seeds are extracted with hot water, the extract is purified, concentrated and spray dried, loading natural grape phenolics into the extract, and that extract powder is used as an ingredient for dietary supplements, functional foods, and healthy beverages.

MegaNatural®-BP™ is a patented grape seed extract that has been evaluated in human clinical studies at the UC Davis Department of Internal Medicine. Studies evaluated subjects with blood pressure levels in the normal to pre-hypertensive ranges. One clinical, involving patients with Metabolic Syndrome, showed incidental blood pressure reductions, averaging 12 mmHg for systolic and 8 mmHg for diastolic pressures. In another study, participants with pre-hypertension took 300 mg of MegaNatural®-BP™ once a day for two months, and blood pressure monitoring averaged in systolic readings 8 mmHg lower and diastolic pressure lower by 5 mmHg. These studies indicate that MegaNatural®-BP™ may offer a significant benefit for people with technically healthy blood pressure that typically ranges on the upper end of normal, a condition known as “pre-hypertension.”

MegaNatural®-BP™ is a distinct form of grape seed extract in that it is backed by human clinical research, which is rare in the industry. It is also supported by a portfolio of intellectual property, including a trademarked brand name and manufacturing and usage patents, further differentiating it from other commodity grape seed extracts. The ingredient fills a need for a natural, effective solution to common health concerns, such as high blood pressure, and is attractive to those seeking a solution without the side effects associated with pharmaceutical drugs. MegaNatural®-BP™ has achieved FDA No-Objection GRAS status, making it safe.

MegaNatural®-BP™ is rich in polyphenolic substances, which are known vasodilators. In a UC Davis human clinical study, patients taking 300 mg of MegaNatural®-BP™ daily for 8 weeks showed an 8 mm drop in systolic pressure versus zero for those in a placebo group. When taken twice daily, LifeSource Vitamins Blood Pressure Support contains the recommended 300 mg of MegaNatural®-BP™.

It is estimated that 60 million Americans have high blood pressure, and uncontrolled high blood pressure (hypertension) is the leading risk factor for both heart attack and stroke. Women are even more vulnerable to high blood pressure than men. Despite lifestyle modifications and drugs, only about two-thirds of those who know they have high blood pressure have it under control (usually with drugs). These statistics make high blood pressure the number one concern of cardiologists and internists today.

Blood pressure is the result of a complex system that includes not only the heart and blood vessels but also hormones and protein messengers. As the heart pumps, it sends blood through arteries. Healthy arteries expand under pressure and contract when the pressure wave passes. However, unhealthy or inelastic arteries cannot expand, which causes higher pressure when the blood pumps.

Receptors in the kidneys keep track of pressure and send hormone signals to the heart to speed up or slow down as needed.

LifeSource Vitamins Blood Pressure Support helps to maintain blood pressure already within the healthy range MegaNatural®-BP™ is a patented grape seed extract that has been evaluated in human clinical studies at the UC Davis Department of Internal Medicine. Made in California under stringent regulations.


Why did LifeSource Vitamins add Hawthorn Extract to our Blood Pressure Support?

Plant Description

Hawthorn is a common thorny shrub in the rose family that grows up to 5 feet tall on hillsides and in sunny wooded areas throughout the world. Its flowers bloom in May. They grow in small white, red, or pink clusters. Small berries, called haws, sprout after the flowers. They are usually red when ripe, but they may also be black. Hawthorn leaves are shiny and grow in a variety of shapes and sizes.

What's It Made Of?

Hawthorn contains many substances that may benefit the heart. These antioxidant flavonoids -- including OPCs -- may help dilate blood vessels, improve blood flow, and protect the blood vessels from damage.

The berries, leaves, and flowers of the hawthorn plant have been used for medicinal purposes. Most modern preparations use the leaves and flowers, which are believed to contain more of the flavonoids than the berries.

Medicinal Uses and Indications

Hawthorn is used to helping protect against heart disease and help control high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Both animal and human studies suggest hawthorn increases coronary artery blood flow, improves circulation, and lowers blood pressure. It has also been used on the skin to treat boils and skin sores.

Heart failure

Hawthorn has been studied in people with heart failure (a condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood to other organs in the body), but more studies are needed to understand how effective it may be. A number of studies conclude that hawthorn significantly improved heart function. Studies also suggest the herb can enhance a person's ability to exercise following heart failure. Participants in studies have reported that hawthorn significantly improved symptoms of the disease (such as shortness of breath and fatigue). One study found that hawthorn extract (900 mg/day) taken for 2 months was as effective as low doses of captopril (a prescription heart medication) in improving symptoms of heart failure.

A large study found that a standardized hawthorn supplement was effective in 952 patients with heart failure. The study compared conventional methods of treating heart failure (with different medications) with hawthorn alone and in addition to the drugs. After 2 years, the clinical symptoms of heart failure (palpitations, breathing problems, and fatigue) decreased significantly in the patients taking the hawthorn supplement. People taking hawthorn also took less medication for their condition.

Heart failure is a serious condition, and you should never try to self-treat with hawthorn. Ask your doctor if hawthorn is right for you.

Chest pain (Angina)

Preliminary evidence suggests hawthorn may help combat chest pain (angina), which is caused by low blood flow to the heart. In one early study, 60 people with angina were given either 180 mg/day of hawthorn berry leaf flower extract or a placebo for 3 weeks. Those who received hawthorn experienced improved blood flow to the heart and were also able to exercise for longer periods of time without suffering from chest pain. However, more studies are needed to say for sure whether hawthorn is effective.

High blood pressure

Although hawthorn has not been studied specifically in people with high blood pressure, some people think its benefits in treating heart disease may carry over to treating high blood pressure (hypertension). However, so far not enough research has been done to say whether hawthorn is effective at lowering blood pressure -- and if so, by how much.

In one study, hawthorn extract was found to be effective for hypertension in people with type 2 diabetes who were also taking prescribed medicines. Participants took 1,200 mg hawthorn extract daily or placebo for 16 weeks. Those taking hawthorn had lower blood pressure than those taking the placebo.

You should talk to your doctor before taking hawthorn if you have high blood pressure.


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University of Maryland Medical Center

What is high blood pressure?

Blood pressure is a measure of how hard the blood pushes against the walls of your arteries as it moves through your body. It's normal for blood pressure to go up and down throughout the day, but if it stays up, you have high blood pressure. Another name for high blood pressure is hypertension.

When blood pressure is high, it starts to damage the blood vessels, heart, and kidneys. This can lead to heart attack, stroke, and other problems. High blood pressure is called a "silent killer,'' because it doesn't usually cause symptoms while it is causing this damage.

Your blood pressure consists of two numbers: systolic and diastolic. Someone with a systolic pressure of 120 and a diastolic pressure of 80 has a blood pressure of 120/80, or "120 over 80."

The systolic number shows how hard the blood pushes when the heart is pumping.

• The diastolic number shows how hard the blood pushes between heartbeats when the heart is relaxed and filling with blood.

Adults should have a blood pressure of less than 120/80. High blood pressure is 140/90 or higher. Many people fall into the category in between, called prehypertension. People with pre-hypertension need to make lifestyle changes to bring the blood pressure down and help prevent or delay high blood pressure.

What causes high blood pressure?

In most cases, doctors can't point to the exact cause, but several things are known to raise blood pressure; being very overweight, drinking too much alcohol, having a family history of high blood pressure, eating too much salt, and getting older. Your blood pressure may also rise if you are not very active, you don't eat enough potassium and calcium, or you have a condition called insulin resistance.

What are the symptoms?

High blood pressure does not usually cause symptoms. Most people don't know they have it until they go to the doctor for some other reason.

Without treatment, high blood pressure can damage the heart, brain, kidneys, or eyes. This damage causes problems like coronary artery disease, stroke, and kidney failure.

Very high blood pressure can cause headaches, vision problems, nausea, and vomiting. Malignant high blood pressure (hypertensive crisis), which is blood pressure that rises very fast, can also cause these symptoms. Malignant high blood pressure is a medical emergency.

How is high blood pressure diagnosed?

Most people find out they have high blood pressure during a routine doctor visit. For your doctor to confirm that you have high blood pressure, your blood pressure must be at least 140/90 on three or more separate occasions. It is usually measured 1 to 2 weeks apart.

You may have to check your blood pressure at home if there is a reason to think the readings in the doctor's office are not accurate. You may have what is called white-coat hypertension, which is blood pressure that goes up just because you're at the doctor's office. Even routine activities, such as attending a meeting, can raise your blood pressure. So can commuting to work or smoking a cigarette.

How is it treated?

Treatment depends on how high your blood pressure is, whether you have other health problems such as diabetes and whether any organs have already been damaged. Your doctor will also consider how likely you are to develop other diseases, especially heart disease.

You can help lower your blood pressure by making healthy changes in your lifestyle. If those lifestyle changes don't work, you may also need to take pills. Either way, you will need to control your high blood pressure throughout your life.

• If you have pre-hypertension, your doctor will likely recommend lifestyle changes. This may include losing extra weight, exercising, limiting alcohol, cutting back on salt, quitting smoking, and eating a low-fat diet that includes more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy foods.
• If you have high blood pressure without any organ damage or other risk factors for heart disease, your doctor may recommend that you take medicine in addition to making lifestyle changes.
• If you have high blood pressure and have some organ damage or other risk factors for heart disease, you may need to try various combinations of medicines in addition to making big lifestyle changes.

Most people take more than one pill for high blood pressure. Work with your doctor to find the right pill or combination of pills that will cause the fewest side effects.

It can be hard to remember to take pills when you have no symptoms, but your blood pressure will go back up if you don't take your medicine. Make your pill schedule as simple as you can. Plan times to take them when you are doing other things, like eating a meal or getting ready for bed.

What can you do to prevent high blood pressure?

There are six lifestyle changes you can make to help prevent high blood pressure:

• Lose extra weight.
• Eat less salt.
• Exercise.

• Limit alcohol to 2 drinks a day for men and 1 drink a day for women and lighter-weight men.
• Get 3,500 mg of potassium in your diet every day. Fresh, unprocessed whole foods have the most potassium. These foods include meat, fish, nonfat and low-fat dairy products, and many fruits and vegetables.
• Follow the DASH eating plan (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). This diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products and is low in fat.

The following published studies conducted at the University UC Davis using the patented, FDA GRAS recognized MegaNatural® BP grape seed extract has been attached.

Mechanism of the Endothelium-Dependent Relaxation

Evoked by a Grape Seed Extract

Indika EDIRISINGHE, Britt BURTON-FREEMAN and C. Tissa KAPPAGODA

Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, U.S.A., and Department of Nutrition, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, U.S.A.

Abstract

GSEs (grape seed extracts) which contain polyphenolic compounds cause an endothelium-dependent relaxation of blood vessels. The aim of the present study was to examine the mechanisms involved in this response. A well-characterized GSE was applied to rabbit aortic rings suspended in organ baths containing Krebs–Henseleit buffer maintained at 37 C. In aortic rings pre-contacted with nora­drenaline (norepinephrine), the extract produced a dose-dependent relaxation. The maximum relaxations elicited by the extract (71.9+- 1.0%) were similar to those elicited by acetylcholine (64.2+- 1.5%) (n=12 for each). As expected, the relaxations were abolished by removal of the endothelium and by prior incubation with L-NAME (NG-nitro-L-Arginine methyl ester), confirming the essential role of eNOS (endothelial NO synthase) in the response. The responses to the GSE were also abolished by incubation with wortmannin and LY294002, which are inhibitors of PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase). These compounds had no effect on the responses to acetylcholine. Using immunoblotting, we also demonstrated that the GSE induced the phosphorylation of both Akt and eNOS in HUVECs (human umbilical vein endothelial cells). Finally, the extract was modified by methylation of the hydroxy groups in the polyphenolic groups and was applied to the aortic rings. The modified extract failed to cause a relaxation. Taken together, these findings suggest that the endothelium-dependent relaxation induced by the GSE was mediated by activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway through a redox-sensitive mechanism, resulting in phosphorylation of eNOS.

Effect of Grape Seed Extract on Blood Pressure in Subjects with Metabolic Syndrome.

Brahmesh Sivaprakasapillaia, Indika Edirisingheb, Jody Randolphc,Francene Steinbergc, Tissa Kappagodaa

Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA

National Center for Food Safety and Technology, Illinois Institute of Technology, Moffet Campus, Summit-Argo, IL 60501, USA

Department of Nutrition, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA

Received 21 November 2008; accepted 29 May 2009

Abstract

This study was undertaken to determine whether grape seed extracts (GSE) that contain powerful vasodilator phenolic compounds lower blood pressure in subjects with the metabolic syndrome. The sub­jects were randomized into 3 groups—(a) placebo, (b) 150 mg GSE per day, and (c) 300 mg GSE per day—and treated for 4 weeks. Serum lipids and blood glucose were measured at the beginning of the study and at the end. Blood pressure was recorded using an ambulatory monitoring device at the start of the treatment period and at the end. Both the systolic and diastolic blood pressures were lowered after treatment with GSE as compared with placebo. There were no significant changes in serum lipids or blood glucose values. These findings suggest that GSE could be used as a nutraceutical in a lifestyle modification program for patients with metabolic syndrome.

LifeSource Vitamins Blood Pressure Support, let us help you get your blood pressure in line. MegaNatural®-BP™ contains flavonoids that can support healthy arterial function already within the healthy range through a number of mechanisms.

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*Disclaimer: None of the above statements have been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. As always, consult your physician before taking any and all supplements. LifeSource Vitamins. Individual results may vary.

Disclaimer: All the information contained throughout this website is based upon the opinions of the founder of LifeSource Vitamins, Bruce Brightman, and the entire team at LifeSource Vitamins whose relentless research and studies have been ongoing since 1992. Other articles and information are based on the opinions of the authors, who retain the copyright as marked in the article. The information on this site is not intended to replace your health care professional, but to enhance your relationship with them. Doing your own studying and research and taking your health care into your own hands is always best, especially in partnership with your health care professional.

If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or have any medical conditions, always consult your health care professional before taking supplements based on the information on this site.

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