To make wine, grapes are mashed, and their juice is extracted. This juice is fermented with yeast, turning the sugar into alcohol.
During this process, the seeds inside the grapes are filtered out—but they typically aren’t thrown away.
These seeds can be pressed to extract a type of oil known as grapeseed oil.
Grapeseed oil is a popular cooking oil with a high smoke point and a mild flavor. This means it can be used for high-heat cooking or as a flavor-neutral base for salad dressings, marinades, and more.
It also provides you with some incredible health benefits.
Reduced Risk of Chronic Illnesses
Grapeseed oil contains antioxidants, such as vitamins E, D, and C.
Antioxidants are nutrients that help keep your cells and tissues healthy by protecting them from damage caused by reactive oxygen species (byproducts of cellular metabolism).
Reactive oxygen species are molecular compound structures with an unpaired electron in their outermost orbital. This makes them unstable and reactive, which means they will tend to cause damage to nearby cells. They are also closely linked to the development of chronic illnesses like heart disease and cancer.
Antioxidants work by scavenging these reactive oxygen species and neutralizing their effects. This helps to protect your cells and tissues from damage, reducing your risk of chronic disease.
Improved Heart Health
Grapeseed oil is also high in unsaturated fats, including both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.
These types of fats are essential for maintaining heart health. They help to reduce bad cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and prevent the formation of blood clots.
If you usually cook with butter or other animal-based fats (which may be high in unhealthy saturated fats), swapping them out for grapeseed oil is a great way to improve your heart health and reduce your risk of heart attack or stroke.
Better Skin Health and Appearance
The vitamins and fatty acids in grapeseed oil also benefit your skin.
Vitamin E, in particular, is an important nutrient for maintaining healthy, youthful skin.
As an antioxidant, it helps to protect your skin from damage caused by oxidative stress and inflammation, which can lead to wrinkles, fine lines, and other signs of aging. Vitamin E also helps to stimulate blood flow to the skin and increase collagen production, both of which can improve the appearance of your skin.
The fatty acids in grapeseed oil are needed for maintaining the health of your skin’s cell membranes, which are responsible for keeping moisture in and harmful toxins out. When they’re not functioning properly, your skin can become dry, irritated, and more susceptible to infection.
Faster Wound Healing
Grapeseed oil can be consumed orally with your meals or applied directly to the skin.
When applied topically, grapeseed oil can be a healthy moisturizer for your skin.
It’s also been shown to trigger the release of vascular endothelial growth factor—a substance that plays an important role in forming new blood vessels. The development of new blood vessels is essential for proper wound healing.
Grapeseed oil can help keep the area well hydrated if you have a small cut or scrape. It also has anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties, which can help protect wounds from infection, promote faster healing, and reduce scarring.
