Procydin

Contains Grape seed extract, a powerful substance, well known by natural health practitioners. It’s

• natural

• a potent antioxidant

• a free radical scavenger

• a defence against cardiovascular disorders

• improves the delivery of oxygen to the cells

Health benefits

• Protects cells against free radical damage (oxidation)

• Helps to stimulate blood circulation and improves circulatory disorders, which also benefits diabetics

• Strengthens the immune system

• Protects against cardiovascular/heart disease

• Helps to fight inflammation and reduce arthritis aches and pains

• Helps to normalise blood pressure

• Assists in controlling blood cholesterol

Procydin is a potent antioxidant that can play a crucial role in preventing or reducing diabetic retinopathy (weakening eyesight), bringing relief to arthritis sufferers, helping control blood pressure and cholesterol levels and keeping the cardiovascular system in good condition. It can help to boost your immune system and improve your performance. It is safe and natural. It can be taken in combination with most medications except with blood-thinning medication. Pregnant women and children can also take it.

Procydin has been the top selling food supplement for the past 13 years in South Africa and is now available in the UK.

Ingredients

Grape Seed Extract

-This is the active ingredient and is of a high quality. It is a rich source of proanthocyanidins which is a potent antioxidant complex.

Vitamin E

-This protects tissues against damage; promotes normal growth and development.

Vitamin C

- This is needed to produce collagen which is used in the structure of connective tissue and bones; promotes healthy blood vessels, gums and teeth. Low levels reduce physical performance.

Formula

Proanthocyanidins 70mg
Ca Ascorbate 30mg
Bioflavonoids 30mg
Vitamin E 15mg

Quantity

60 Capsules

Dosage and directions for use:

1. People weighing 40-70kg should take 3 capsules in the morning after food for 3 days, then 2 capsules in the morning for 5 days, then continue with 1 capsule daily.
2. People weighing 70kg or more should take 3 capsules in the morning after food for 5 days, then continue with 2 capsules daily.
3. Children (40kg or less) should take 1 capsule in the morning after food every other day. The contents of the capsule could be dissolved in juice if required. The dose could also be increased to one daily if needed.

Interactions:

Anti-coagulants, antiplatelet drugs: Proanthocyanidins reduce blood platelet stickiness and concomitant administration may increase the risk of bleeding. If you are taking either of the above, please consult your doctor before taking this supplement.

Pharmacological action:

Procydin contains an extract containing proanthocyanidins and flavonoids obtained from the Vitis vinifera (the common grape) seeds. These are powerful antioxidants which remove damaging free radicals from the body implicated as being the cause of many disease states. It therefore may help to prevent oxidative stresses on the body and associated degenerative diseases. Before taking Procydin for arthritis, atherosclerosis or cholesterol levels, please ensure that a health practitioner has diagnosed the condition. Procydin can enhance the microcirculatory system and preventing and improving vascular or circulatory disorders i.e. varicose veins, chronic venous insufficiency edema, diabetic complications and improve wound healing.

Procydin enhances the immune system protecting the body against viral infections and shortens recovery times. It can also provide relief in cases of inflammatory diseases such as hay fever and allergic reactions in the nose, throat and air passages. Other conditions as a consequence of disorder of the system that could benefit are sensitivities, hepatitis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, Crohn’s disease, Systemic lupus erythematosis and ulcerative colitis. Procydin may protect against strokes and myocardial failure by making the platelets more slippery and less sticky preventing the formation of clots in cranial and coronary arteries. Procydin can assist in maintaining normal cholesterol levels and prevent plague formation and can thus help prevent atherosclerosis and occurrence of coronary heart disease is reduced.

Mode of action:

Proanthocyanidins have been shown to improve vascular integrity and strength leading to improved peripheral circulation by preventing the breakdown of elastin and collagen, enhancing collagen cross-linking and reducing elastin’s susceptibility to degradation by elastase. The immune system is strengthened by increasing the levels of immune factors and mediators, as well as enhancing the activity of natural killer cells. It was also shown to prevent the release of Histamine thus preventing allergic type reactions. It inhibits prostaglandins and the enzymes that lead to inflammation. Inflammatory cell accumulation is inhibited and the output of inflammatory substances is reduced. Capillary permeability is normalised to prevent leakage of fluid that cause edema. It prevents blood clots from forming in coronary arteries by stimulating Nitric oxide (NO) in inner lining of blood vessels. This prevents the blood vessels from contracting, prevents platelets from sticking and clumping together and maintains the proper “slipperiness” of blood cells. The prevention of atherosclerosis is through inhibition of oxidation of low-density lipids, which are responsible for cholesterol loading of macrophages, foam cell formation and atherosclerosis in arteries. One study showed an anti-hypercholesterolemic effect through enhancing of reverse cholesterol transport and also by reducing intestinal cholesterol absorption and increasing bile excretion.

Proanthocyanidins in Procydin

Proanthocyanidins refer to a group of condensed flavan-3-ols, (procyanidins, prodelphinidins and propelargonidins), found in many plants. They occur in apples (especially Red Delicious and Granny Smith varieties), cocoa beans, maritime pine bark, cinnamon, grape seed, grape skin (procyanidins and prodelphinidins)and red wines made from Vitis vinifera (the common grape). Bilberry, cranberry, black currant, green tea and black tea contain these flavonoids too but cocoa beans and red wine have the highest concentrations. PCOs (proanthocyanidin oligomers) and OPCs (oligomeric proanthocyanidins) occur in these flavanols. In nature, it is believed that PCOs serve as a plant defense against herbivory. PCOs are present in fresh grapes, grape juice, and red wine. OPCs form part of the normal human diet, being found in most plants, especially the skin, seeds and seed coverings of plants e.g grape seed extract and skin, red grapes, red skins of peanuts, coconuts, apples and cocoa. Both were discovered by Prof. Jacques Masquelier who developed and patented techniques to extract the OPCs from pine bark and grape seeds. Proanthocyanidins are a potent antioxidant complex. Studies show that proanthocyanidins antioxidant capabilities are 20 times and 50 times more powerful than, the more common antioxidants, vitamins C and E, respectively. Foods rich in proanthocyanidins have a high oxygen radical absorbance capacity. They help to stabilise collagen and maintain elastin. Both these proteins are vital for connective tissue in supporting organs, joints, blood vessels, and muscle. Proanthocyanidins also provide nutritional support for cell membranes, to reduce capillary permeability and fragility. It is possible to chew grape seeds, if any variety other than ‘seedless’ can be found. Alternatively, consuming a glass of wine, red being preferable to white, may be of some benefit. Proanthocyanidins are the principal vasoactive polyphenols in red wine and these suppress the production of a protein (endothelin-1) which is known to constrict blood vessels. Drinking red wines, particularly those from South West France and Sardinia, which contain particularly high concentrations, has been linked to reducing the risk of coronary heart disease and increased longevity.

The French Paradox

Statement 1: High consumption of saturated fats in a diet increases the risk of coronary heart disease.

Statement 2 : French people have relatively low rates of CHD, despite having a diet relatively rich in saturated fats.

The paradox : The French Paradox is a term devised by Serge Renaud, a scientist from Bordeaux University, France. His study of the health of the French population established that the French diet consisted of a high amount of saturated fat but that they also had low rates of cardiovascular disease (Statement 2). This contradicts the popular belief that the high consumption of saturated fats is a risk factor for CHD (statement 1). If the link between saturated fats and CHD is valid, then the French should have a higher rate of CHD, compared with similar countries where they eat less saturated fats. Hence the paradox.

In 2002, the average French person consumed 108 grams per day of fat from animal sources, while the average American consumed only 72 grams. The French consume only slightly more fat, overall, but four times the butter, one and a half times more cheese and much more saturated fat while the Americans use far more vegetable oil. Despite this, in 1999 the British Heart Foundation, said that for males aged 35–74, death rates from CHD were 83 in France but 115 in America, per 100,000.

This lead to the following theories:-

1. It is an illusion. There is no paradox as the data, itself, is flawed. In 1999, using a 1994 study of alcohol and diet, Law and Wald suggested the data could be flawed, due to the different way that the French authorities collect health statistics and classify CHD. They deduced there was an under-certification of CHD in France and that this could account for part of the difference. Also, if there were a delay in serum cholesterol concentrations increasing and a subsequent increase in ischaemic heart disease mortality, then the current rate of mortality from CHD is more likely to be linked to past levels of serum cholesterol and fat consumption than to current ones, effectively given rise to a time-lag effect. So they considered the comparison to be invalid. In addition, France noted their coronary health issues and adopted dietary changes much earlier than other countries.

2. The link between saturated fats and CHD is not completely valid or totally invalid. An analysis of 8 years of data on the diet and health of 49,000 post-menopausal women in America found no link between (un)saturated fats and the risk of heart disease. They did find that consuming trans fats significantly increased the risk. Another study also determined that there was insufficient evidence to establish a link between saturated fats and the risk of CHD.

3. The link between saturated fats and CHD is valid, but that some additional factor in the French diet or lifestyle mitigates this risk. By endorsing the paradox and believing that dietary or lifestyle changes do account for the difference, it is reasonable to assume that others could apply similar changes and achieve similar life-saving results, allowing people to consume a diet rich in saturated fats and avoid cardiovascular disease; it merely remains to find that differing factor… France has a high consumption of red wine and this has been put forward as a possible reason behind the paradox.

Resveratrol – Red wine, in particular, is a source of low levels of resveratrol. Resveratrol is a substance found to benefit health and longevity, namely cardiovascular health, increased endurance, lower blood sugar levels and improved blood flow. A study in 2003 concluded that the amount is small and unlikely to explain the paradox, however other research suggests that moderate drinkers are less likely to suffer heart attacks than abstainers or heavy drinkers. In 2008, a study found that high doses of resveratrol gave some of the benefits of caloric restriction, including reduced effects of aging and age-related problems.

Procyanidins and polyphenols – Oligomeric procyanidins are thought to give the most protection to blood-vessel cells. European red wines are a good source, especially those made from the Tannat grape, grown in the Gers, southwest France, a region associated with longevity. Quantities seem high enough to be significant. Clinical trials of grape seed extract show that 200–300mg per day will lower blood pressure, the amount in two small glasses (125 ml/glass). Other research suggests that polyphenols in wine reduce the absorption of malondialdehyde, which is implicated in arteriosclerosis, cancer, diabetes and other diseases.

The French diet is also rich in vitamin K2, used for bone health and blood coagulation. There is a high level of vitamin K2 (menaquinone) in pâté de foie gras and their creamy, buttery sauces. These foods may help protect the heart, as a lack of vitamin K2 is linked to increased calcification of plaques in artery walls.

The French diet is also rich in natural saturated fats and low in hydrogenated and trans fats which may also help in explaining the paradox as the body can easily metabolise butter, cheese and cream. However, the American diet includes more saturated fats and trans fats e.g. hydrogenated vegetable oil which have health risks.

The French Diet in a nutshell :-

• Whole milk dairy products and lots of vegetables.

• Fish (at least three times a week).

• 3 meals a day, savouring mealtimes with mindful eating and no snacking.

• Small portion sizes, eaten more slowly and divided among courses.
• Lower sugar intake; full fat with no added sugar. (American low-fat, fat-free foods tend to be high in sugar).

• Fresh, natural home-cooked meals over ready-meals/fast food.

• Plenty of liquid such as water, herbal tea and soup

A final thought; since 1871, pregnant women and young children in France have been provided with high quality foods. Originally a way to produce strong soldiers, this has provided excellent nutritional habits across many generations, the effects of which we could be seeing today in the relatively low rates of obesity and heart disease.