About OPC Antioxidant
OPCs, also known as Oligomeric proanthocyanidins are a family of flavonoid compounds found in many plants. It is primarily for the antioxidant properties that they tend to gain much attention. It is estimated that OPC antioxidant activity is 20 to 50 times greater than that of vitamins C and E.
Since vitamin C is water-soluble and vitamin E is fat-soluble, their antioxidant activity is mainly in an aqueous medium for vitamin C or lipid for vitamin E, while OPC is active in both.
How do antioxidants keep us healthy
As its name suggests, an antioxidant has the effect of inhibiting the oxidation of various physiological substances and free radicals, which is the origin of many diseases.
There are many factors that increase the formation of free radicals in our body: additives in food, exhaust gases, heavy metals, alcohol, tobacco, stress, polluted air. This accelerates the aging process and is the cause of many diseases.
Our body synthesizes a number of antioxidants, but most must be controlled through the help of OPC antioxidants. This it does by neutralizing the free radicals responsible for the damage caused by oxidation in the body, making them harmless and allowing the body to eliminate them easily.
Since OPCs are not considered essential nutrients, no recommended dietary intake for these substances has been established. However, they play an important role in maintaining good health.
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OPC Antioxidant sources
Currently, commercially available OPC Antioxidant products come almost exclusively from pine bark or grape seed extract. However, researchers from around the world are currently working on a host of other OPC-rich plants that, while not identical to the first, possess a common biochemical structure that gives them comparable virtues.
Thus, they have been quite successful with the OPC contained in cocoa, tea, hawthorn, red rice, soybean, blueberry, cranberry, raspberry, grapes, and the inner shell of groundnuts. Some researchers are also currently studying the potential anticancer properties of OPCs, which are closely related to their antioxidant effects.
In addition, immunoprotective properties have been attributed to OPCs contained in two plants growing in China ( Uncaria sinensis and Ecdysanthera utilis ), and another growing in Japan ( Eriobotrya japonica). In Africa, the anti-inflammatory properties of OPCs contained in the Erythrophleum suaveolens is currently being investigated.
Related: Antioxidants in berries
Benefits of OPC antioxidants
Numerous research has highlighted the important properties of these extracts. The OPC Antioxidant become present in the blood and are immediately bioavailable for use by the body after 10 minutes from the time of administration.
Thus, some of its benefits include:
- They prevent the degradation of collagen and elastin. OPC Antioxidants tend to protect the body tissues from the degradation of collagen and elastin (important connective tissue proteins) and to promote the formation of collagen microfibrils. Collagen is the main extracellular protein present in connective tissues and bones; it gives shape and resistance to the tissues in which it is present, allowing it to withstand even considerable tensile stresses. Collagen is made up of many linked subunits, which can break more easily under certain conditions or pathologies; furthermore, the collagen fibers are immersed in a gelatinous matrix composed mostly of molecules known as glycosaminoglycans. OPC Antioxidants show an elective affinity for tissues rich in glycosaminoglycans, such as cartilages, arterial and venous walls, where they act by blocking the depolymerization phenomena of the same and encouraging the formation of new collagen.
- They make the blood thinner. OPC Antioxidant dilute the blood and makes it thinner by eliminating the friction between the platelets. As a result, the blood returns to the smaller veins. This gives rise to finer blood which gets everywhere much more easily through the arteries and capillaries. In this way, the blood effectively collects toxins from all parts of the body, including the brain. This is very important because when the toxins are deposited in the organs or in the brain, an inflammatory process begins which is the cause of many diseases. They are therefore useful for those with a compromised circulatory system such as diabetics, arthritics, smokers, users of oral contraceptives, chronic venous insufficiency, varicose veins, hemorrhoidal syndrome, cardiovascular insufficiency and other problems related to circulatory disorders in general. Studies further show that 100 mg of OPC Antioxidants have an anticoagulant effect such as 500 mg of aspirin. Therefore, they should not be taken together with an anticoagulant.
- They increase the resistance of the walls of arteries and capillaries. OPC Antioxidants increase the resistance of the walls of the arteries and capillaries, thus avoiding possible spills and thrombi in the body. Twenty-four hours after taking a substance containing OPC Antioxidants, the blood vessel resistance gets doubled. In this way, the OPC antioxidants are an ally in the health of the heart and the brain. As a result, they act as invaluable preventative agents against heart attack and stroke.
- They improve cognitive function. By being able to cross the blood-brain barrier, OPC antioxidants have the ability to fight free radicals directly inside the vessels of the brain. The result is an improvement in mental acuity and lower exposure to apoplexy.
- They control allergic and inflammatory reactions. OPC antioxidants prevent 68% of the deposits in the arteries and decrease the levels of histamine in the body. Therefore, they are highly recommended for those who have allergies or gastrointestinal problems and ulcers.
- They slow down the processes of aging. OPC antioxidants deal with everyday stress, protect against UV radiation, reduce muscle degeneration during aging, facilitate cell reconstruction, reduce wrinkles, and slow down the processes of aging.
Contraindications
OPC antioxidants do not show any toxicity. As water-soluble substances, the excess or unassimilated doses are eliminated through the urine.
In conclusion, the favorable influence of OPC antioxidants has been greatly recognized, as they help in the treatment of various diseases such as diabetes, skin and eye diseases, improve blood circulation, help to balance blood cholesterol and regenerate the connective tissues.
Furthermore, OPC antioxidants have also been successfully used to improve mood, treat gynecological disorders and strengthen the libido, amongst other benefits as highlighted above.