BOTANICAL INFORMATION
Family: Vitaceae
Description: A deciduous climber with erect and sprawling branches, it appears as a tendril with palmate leaves, and small groupings of flowers. Its fruit appears in colorful bunches (grapes), in coloring that ranges from green to purple to black. The young twigs have alternate leaves, are often hairy and have grasping tendrils which enables the plant to cling to support.
Habitat: Native to southern Europe and western Asia.
Cultivation: Grapes have been cultivated in warm temperate regions throughout the world for the fruit and wine production a far back as the written word.
Method of Harvest:
The leaves are harvested in summer.
Parts Utilized:
Leaves.
ACTIVE CONSTITUENTS: Anthocyanins: The red-leaved varieties are the most rich in anthocyanins.
MODE OF ACTION
Actions: The Vitis vinifera is a strong protector and promoter of tonic activity in the capillaries and veins.
Precautions: There are no known side effects reported for this plant, therefore it is not necessary to take any special precautions for use at the recommended doses.
COMMON INDICATIONS
As a medicinal herb: Used for its specialized activity on the veins and capillaries, preparations of Vitis vinifera are useful in the treatment of circulatory disorders of the lower limbs and in cases of capillary fragility.
Traditional uses:
In folk medicine, preparations of Vitis vinifera were used in the treatment of dysentery and in cases of excessive menstrual bleeding, and externally used for cases of dialated surface vessels.
PREPARATION AND USE
Internal Use: As a hydroalcoholic, dried extract or in a dosage which corresponds to 10 mg per day of anthocyanins. Infusion: 4-5 g of crushed leaves in 100 ml of water. After soaking for 10 minutes, strain and take 2-3 cups a day.
External Use: As a decoction: 8-10 grams of crushed leaves in 100 ml of water, soak packs and apply on areas concerned.
HISTORY AND LEGENDS
In 1652, the herbalist Nicholas Culpeper recommended Grape leaves as a mouthwash and wrote that "the ashes of burnt branches will make teeth that are as black as coal to be white as snow; if you do but every morning rub them with it.”
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Reference
“Commercial dietary ingredients from Vitis vinifera L. leaves and grape skins: antioxidant and chemical characterization.” J. Agric. Food Chem., 2006, 54 (2), pp 319–327
“In-vivo assessment of antidiabetic and antioxidant activities of grapevine leaves (Vitis vinifera) in diabetic rats. J Ethnopharmacol. 2006 Nov 24;108(2):280-6. Epub 2006 May 20.
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