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Foods > Foods List > Proanthocyanidins in foods

Overview

Proanthocyanidins in foods

Proanthocyanidins are a group of chemical compounds found in many types of plants and are an important part of the human diet. Proanthocyanidins belong to a larger category of plant chemicals called flavonoids. Proanthocyanidins are sometimes called OPCs, an abbreviation for oligomeric procyanidins, or PCOs, an abbreviation for procyanidolic oligomers, both classes of nutrients belonging to the flavonoid family.

A variety of plants contain proanthocyanidins, including teas, black currant, bilberry, cranberry, grape seed, and grape skin. These useful antioxidant chemicals are also found in making red wines.

Although proanthocyanidins have been sold in Europe since the 1980s, they have not appeared in U.S. markets as therapeutic and nutritional supplements. Nutritional supplements containing proanthocyanidins are sold alone or in combination with other agents as tablets and capsules. Some health experts recommend that individuals consume between 50 and 100 milligrams of proanthocyanidins per day.

The proanthocyanidins present in red wine are thought to contribute to the "French Paradox," a hypothesis that attributes lower occurrence of heart disease in countries where moderate amounts of wine are a regular part of the diet.

Proanthocyanidins are not classified as essential nutrients, as no symptoms or medical conditions have been linked to the absence of flavonoids in the diet. However, many experts believe that proanthocyanidins may play a role in treating chronic venous insufficiency. The effects of proanthocyanidins on capillary fragility, retinopathy, and sunburn are more tentative. It has also been suggested that proanthocyanidins may help to treat varicose veins and pancreatic insufficiency, but there is a significant lack of any type of clinical evidence to support these uses. Human clinical trials evaluating proanthocyanidins in prevention, treatment, or cure of any medical condition are not currently available.

Proanthocyanidin content in selected foods

Description Mean monomers per mg/100g Mean dimers per mg/100g Mean trimers per mg/100g Mean 4-6mers per mg/100g Mean 7-10mers per mg/100g Mean polymers per mg/100g Alcoholic beverage, beer, regular 0.63 0.85 0.15 0.40 0.00 0.00 Alcoholic beverage, wine, table, red 16.64 20.49 1.80 6.70 5.00 11.00 Alcoholic beverage, wine, table, rose 1.33 0.86 0.59 0.00 0.00 0.00 Alcoholic beverage, wine, table, white 0.59 0.21 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 Apple juice, canned or bottled, unsweetened, without added ascorbic acid 4.96 4.04 2.74 0.38 0.10 0.00 Apples, Fuji, with peel, raw 6.46 9.92 6.09 19.09 13.81 14.22 Apples, Gala, with peel, raw 5.94 9.55 6.24 21.28 18.73 30.68 Apples, Golden Delicious, with peel, raw 3.71 7.59 4.73 21.77 18.75 26.46 Apples, Golden Delicious, without peel, raw 4.02 6.62 5.79 21.16 17.54 22.40 Apples, Granny Smith, with peel, raw 5.68 12.76 8.24 32.90 30.12 46.31 Apples, raw, without peel, raw 7.50 9.50 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Apricots, with peel, raw 1.32 1.33 0.77 4.90 2.20 0.80 Avacados, raw, California 0.96 1.46 1.36 3.17 0.44 0.00 Babyfood, apricots with pears and apples 1.70 3.40 2.30 7.60 4.60 0.00 Babyfood, banana, strawberry 0.40 1.00 0.90 3.80 3.30 2.80 Babyfood, cereal, barley, dry 4.80 9.30 4.50 4.10 0.00 0.00 Baking chocolate, unsweetened, squares 198.54 206.51 130.88 332.62 216.39 551.00 Bananas, raw 0.13 0.43 0.49 2.32 0.00 0.00 Barley 3.13 46.11 50.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Beans, black, mature seeds, raw 2.90 5.20 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Beans, French, mature seeds, raw 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 90.50 258.15 Beans, pinto, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt 1.75 4.40 3.91 10.52 4.32 1.41 Beans, pinto, mature seeds, raw 10.72 19.22 16.18 125.90 135.62 459.63 Beans, white, mature seeds, raw 0.10 0.03 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Bee pollen 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Blackberries, raw 3.73 4.45 2.11 7.27 4.24 1.51 Blueberries, raw 3.46 5.71 4.15 19.57 14.55 129.05 Blueberries, wild, raw 3.23 8.45 6.56 25.99 29.31 255.09 Boradbeans (fava beans), mature seeds, raw 80.84 73.48 0.13 0.00 0.00 0.00 Buckwheat flour, whole- groat 3.79 46.51 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Buckwheat, hulls 1.02 43.49 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Cacao beans 1381.28 831.29 785.70 2690.78 2224.21 1568.49 Candies, dark chocolate 79.79 79.79 59.05 32.25 48.10 14.38 Candies, milk chocolate 23.47 23.10 14.65 40.72 17.63 32.82 Cherries, sweet, raw 5.11 3.25 2.39 6.51 1.87 0.00 Chocolate, liquor 363.33 306.67 210.00 406.67 190.00 0.00 Choke berries 5.20 12.50 10.30 40.30 52.90 542.60 Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened 316.83 183.49 159.54 524.53 188.93 0.00 Cranberries, raw 7.26 25.93 18.93 70.27 62.90 233.48 Cranberry juice cocktail, bottled 0.56 2.71 1.59 4.58 3.84 8.33 Currants, European black, raw 0.90 2.90 3.00 10.60 9.90 122.40 Currants, red 3.23 1.90 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Custard-apple (bullock's heart), raw 6.25 14.20 4.49 0.00 0.00 0.00 Bates, deglet noor 0.00 1.84 3.02 5.88 0.00 0.00 Grape juice, purple, canned or bottled, unsweetened, without added vitamin C 1.69 3.18 1.78 7.49 6.46 28.37 Grape seeds, raw 171.29 169.89 32.22 0.00 0.00 0.00 Grape skins, raw 33.87 14.10 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Grapes, red, raw 0.96 2.33 1.88 8.35 9.15 58.87 Hops 157.53 84.10 51.53 0.00 0.00 0.00 Indian squash, raw (Navajo) 1.63 1.98 1.49 4.62 3.19 3.50 Kiwi fruit, (Chinese gooseberries), fresh, raw 0.51 0.61 0.52 1.32 0.20 0.00 Kiwi fruit, gold, raw 1.10 1.61 1.16 5.00 5.03 0.00 Lentils, mature seeds, raw 0.53 1.20 0.11 0.00 0.00 0.00 Lentils, sprouted, raw 0.00 1.86 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Malted drink mix, chocolate, powder 35.90 20.60 8.77 12.10 0.77 0.00 Mangos, raw 2.30 1.80 1.40 7.20 0.00 0.00 Marionberries (Northwest blackberries), raw 0.90 3.40 2.40 2.20 0.00 0.00 Medlar, raw 0.79 1.30 0.63 0.00 0.00 0.00 Milk, chocolate, fluid, commercial 0.40 2.18 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Nectarines, with peel, raw 5.57 5.00 1.75 5.98 3.57 7.31 Nectarines, white, with peel, raw 10.64 11.93 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Nectarines, with peel, raw 5.57 5.00 1.75 5.98 3.57 7.31

Bibliography

Cahn J, Borzeix MG. Administration of procyanidolic oligomers in rats. Observed effects on changes in the permeability of the blood-brain barrier. Sem Hop. 1983 Jul 7;59(27-28):2031-4. 6312569. View Abstract

Bagchi D, Bagchi M, Stohs S, et al. Cellular protection with proanthocyanidins derived from grape seeds. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2002 May;957:260-70. View Abstract

Cos P, De Bruyne T, Hermans N, et al. Proanthocyanidins in health care: current and new trends. Curr Med Chem. 2004 May;11(10):1345-59. View Abstract

Costantini A, De Bernardi T, Gotti A. Clinical and capillaroscopic evaluation of chronic uncomplicated venous insufficiency with procyanidins extracted from vitis vinifera. Minerva Cardioangiol. 1999 Jan-Feb;47(1-2):39-46. View Abstract

Du Y, Guo H, Lou H. Grape seed polyphenols protect cardiac cells from apoptosis via induction of endogenous antioxidant enzymes. J Agric Food Chem. 2007 Mar 7;55(5):1695-701. View Abstract

Erdman JW Jr, Balentine D, Arab L, et al. Flavonoids and Heart Health: proceedings of the ILSI North America Flavonoids Workshop, May 31-June 1, 2005, Washington, DC. J Nutr. 2007 Mar;137(3):718S-37S. View Abstract

Pataki T, Bak I, Kovacs P, et al. Grape seed proanthocyanidins improved cardiac recovery during reperfusion after ischemia in isolated rat hearts. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002 May;75(5):894-9. View Abstract

Shao ZH, Vanden Hoek TL, Xie J, et al. Grape seed proanthocyanidins induce pro-oxidant toxicity in cardiomyocytes. Cardiovasc Toxicol. 2003;3(4):331-9. View Abstract

Spencer JP, Schroeter H, Rechner AR, et al. Bioavailability of flavan-3-ols and procyanidins: gastrointestinal tract influences and their relevance to bioactive forms in vivo. Antioxid Redox Signal. 2001 Dec;3(6):1023-39. View Abstract

Subarnas A, Wagner H. Analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity of the proanthocyanidin shellegueain A from Polypodium feei METT. Phytomedicine. 2000 Oct;7(5):401-5. View Abstract

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). www.usda.gov. Last accessed September 21, 2007.

Vidal R, Hernandez-Vallejo S, Pauquai T, et al. Apple procyanidins decrease cholesterol esterification and lipoprotein secretion in Caco-2/TC7 enterocytes. J Lipid Res. 2005 Feb;46(2):258-68. View Abstract

Related Terms

Flavonoids, leucoanthocyanin, leukocyanidin, oligomeric proanthocyanidin (OPC), procyanidolic oligomers (PCO), pycnogenol.

Natural Standard Bottom Line Monograph, Copyright © 2009 (www.naturalstandard.com). Commercial distribution prohibited. This monograph is intendedfor informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. You should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.

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Proanthocyanidins in foods

Background

Proanthocyanidin content in selected foods

Theory and evidence

Safety

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Bibliography

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