What is grape seed and what does it do?
The value of grapes (Vitis vinifera), both medicinally and nutritionally has been used for thousands of years. The Greeks and Egyptians claimed that grapes had healing power as far back as 6,000 years ago, particularly when consumed through wine. Folk healers in Europe used the sap from grapevines to create an ointment that treated eye and skin diseases. Grapes were also used to do a myriad of things like stop pain, inflammation, and bleeding, specifically those introduced by hemorrhoids. Different kinds of grapes were used to treat different types of conditions. Unripe grapes were commonly used to help treat sore throats, while raisins (dry grapes) were used for healing constipation and thirst. On the other hand, sweet grapes were used to treat a variety of problems – major and small, including skin infections, smallpox, cholera, liver diseases, and nausea.
