Proanthocyanidins:
Why this Tannin Keeps Your Arteries Flexible and Blood Pressure Low, and the Best Sources of It
© 2025 Health Realizations, Inc. Update
Proanthocyanidins, a polyphenols extracted from grape seeds, has scientists and nutrition buffs excited. Why? They are antioxidant powerhouse that also appears to provide major heart-healthy benefits.
All polyphenols, in fact, are great for your health. They work by scavenging harmful free radicals in your body, and evidence is emerging that these compounds prevent the spread of a number of degenerative conditions, including cancer and cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.
But there's something special about proanthocyanidins that even trumps the much talked-about resveratrol (the grape skin compound that's been found to extend the lifespan of yeast cells by up to 80 percent).
What Makes Proanthocyanidins so Health-Promoting and Unique?
Proanthocyanidins are, in essence, condensed tannins (the compound in wine that gives it a bitter flavor). They've been found to:
NIH stated: "The question of how periodontal bacteria exit from ulcerated periodontal epithelium to systemic circulation is currently broadly emphasized and explored. Current evidences have suggested that periodontal bacteria can exploit recirculating monocytes (Suwatanapongched et al., 2010), erythrocytes (Ganuelas et al., 2013), and dendritic cells (Carrion et al., 2012) for dissemination. These cells engulf bacteria and transport them to distal vascular endothelial cells. Fimbriae protein possessing adherence and invasive properties may play a key role in this process, as the fimA-deficient mutant strain of P. gingivalis failed to adhere and invade cells (Jotwani and Culter, 2004; Hasegawa and Nagano, 2021). The transmission of P. gingivalis among cells can be mediated by membranous projections (Yilmaz et al., 2006) and autophagosomes (Takeuchi et al., 2011). More recently, research has shown that P. gingivalis was first encapsulated by early endosomes immediately upon their entry into cells, and then some of them were sorted to late endosomes for degradation, whereas others escaped from cells for further dissemination (Takeuchi et al., 2016). This discovery further reveals the recycling pathways by which intracellular bacteria exit infected cells. With such a dynamic, P. gingivalis can control its population in infected cells and allow for persistent infection."
Studies have also found that proanthocyanidins limit production of a compound that's responsible for hardening your arteries.
However, what makes proanthocyanidins so unique is their high bioavailability, meaning that your body can easily utilize it (unlike resveratrol). In red wine, which is one source of proanthocyanidins, the compounds make up as much as 50 percent of the bioactive compounds.
"Resveratrol is available at one one-hundredth or one one-thousandth of the levels of procyanidin," says plant biochemist Alan Crozier of the University of Glasgow.
Crozier and his colleague, Dr. Roger Corder, found another interesting association when comparing two French regions that had an above-average number of long-lived men and wine production. It turns out that the areas with the most men who lived to be older than 75 years also produced local wine that contained four times the proanthocyanidins as other wines.
Dr. Roger Corder, professor of experimental therapeutics at London's William Harvey Research Institute, is so enthusiastic about proanthocyanidins' benefits that he says a "half a bottle of wine a day might keep the doctor away."
Wine is NOT the Only Source of Proanthocyanidin
If you want to get more of this heart-healthy compound into your diet, you do not have to take up drinking large quantities of wine (or any for that matter).
In fact, according to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition, both chocolate (high-cocoa-content dark varieties) and apples (particularly Red Delicious and Granny Smith) have a greater proanthocyanidin content than even red wine.
So, if you're looking to fortify your diet and your heart with the beneficial proanthocyanidins, start incorporating some of the following foods, beverages and supplements into your daily diet today:
In the meantime, if you're opting to drink a glass of red wine, remember that the more bitter and astringent, the better, at least as far as your heart health is concerned. According to Corder, traditionally made "old-world" wine (with lower alcohol content and lower ripeness) is best.
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Sources
Proanthocyanidins: Components, Pharmacokinetics and Biomedical Properties
NIH: Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins: An Updated Review of Their Natural Sources, Synthesis, and Potentials
AMERICAN CRANBERRY PRODUCTS: PROANTHOCYANIDIN PURIFICATION AND CONCENTRATIONS
Genetic Architecture Underlying Proanthocyanidin Composition in American Hybrid Grapes
Proanthocyanidin Biosynthesis—a Matter of Protection
Forget Resveratrol, Tannins Key to Heart Health from Wine
Proanthocyanidins may be potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of carotid atherosclerosis: A review
Proanthocyanidin Power
Napa Valley Register
Journal of Nutrition;130:2086S-2092S
NIH periodontal bacteria exit from ulcerated periodontal epithelium
