Red Grape and Reduced Blood Cholesterol

Research synthesisModerate evidenceSmall effect3 studies · 3 beneficial · 0 neutral · 0 harmful

All 3 studies reported small beneficial effects of grape seed extract on reducing blood cholesterol. The evidence includes a meta-analysis and a systematic review, with a median study duration of 60 days. The most-studied dose was 520 mg/day in one RCT, but insufficient data to define a precise effective dose range.

Studied populations: People with metabolic disorders (e.g., non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, hypercholesterolemia, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome)

Caveats: Available evidence is overwhelmingly positive (3/3 beneficial) — clinical literature in this area is subject to publication bias (null-result studies are less likely to be published or indexed). Evidence base is small (only 3 studies) — conclusions should be considered preliminary. All studies used grape seed extract, not whole red grape; effects may not generalize to other forms of red grape supplement.

Generated Jul 16, 2026

Doses used in studies

mg/day: 520 (median 520, IQR 520–520) — 1 study

Time to effect

Median: 8.6 weeks · IQR 8.6 weeks–8.6 weeks · Range 8.6 weeks–8.6 weeks — Reported in 1 of 3 studies

3 of 3 papersPopulation:

The effects of grape seed extract supplementation on cardiovascular risk factors, liver enzymes and hepatic steatosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
- 2024-05-16
- RCT · n = 25
- BMC complementary medicine and therapies 24(1)
- - Parisa Ghanbari
  - Davoud Raiesi
  - Roghayeh Alboebadi
  - Ahmad Zarejavid
  - Mostafa Dianati
  - Hamidreza Razmi
  - Hadi Bazyar
- PubMed: 38755622
- DOI: 10.1186/s12906-024-04477-3
18 Insights on
- Reduced Blood Cholesterol
- High evidence
- Clinical
insulin, HOMA-IR, TC, TG, LDL-c, ALT, AST, AST/ALT, SBP, DBP and MAP decreased and QUICKi and HDL-c increased significantly (p-value for all < 0.05)
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Small
Significant
Yes
Dose
520 mg/day
Efficacy of Bilberry and Grape Seed Extract Supplement Interventions to Improve Glucose and Cholesterol Metabolism and Blood Pressure in Different Populations-A Systematic Review of the Literature.
- 2021-05-17
- Systematic Review
- Nutrients 13(5)
- - Teresa Grohmann
  - Caroline Litts
  - Graham Horgan
  - Xuguang Zhang
  - Nigel Hoggard
  - Wendy Russell
  - Baukje de Roos
- PubMed: 34067538
- DOI: 10.3390/nu13051692
4 Insights on
- Reduced Blood Cholesterol
- High evidence
- Rigorous Journal
- Mixed
We also found good evidence that across studies and in subjects with hypercholesterolemia, T2DM or metabolic syndrome, intervention with bilberry and blackcurrant extract, and to some extent grape seed extract, significantly lowered total and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels after four weeks.
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Small
Significant
Yes
The effects of grape seed extract on glycemic control, serum lipoproteins, inflammation, and body weight: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- 2019-12-26
- Meta-Analysis
- Phytotherapy research : PTR 34(2)
- - Omid Asbaghi
  - Behzad Nazarian
  - Željko Reiner
  - Elaheh Amirani
  - Fariba Kolahdooz
  - Maryam Chamani
  - Zatollah Asemi
- PubMed: 31880030
- DOI: 10.1002/ptr.6518
8 Insights on
- Reduced Blood Cholesterol
- High evidence
total cholesterol (TC; WMD: -6.03; 95% CI: -9.71, -2.35)
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Small
Significant
Yes

Red Grape and Reduced Blood Cholesterol

The effects of grape seed extract supplementation on cardiovascular risk factors, liver enzymes and hepatic steatosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Efficacy of Bilberry and Grape Seed Extract Supplement Interventions to Improve Glucose and Cholesterol Metabolism and Blood Pressure in Different Populations-A Systematic Review of the Literature.

The effects of grape seed extract on glycemic control, serum lipoproteins, inflammation, and body weight: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.