OPC Complex - Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins
OPC Complex (Grape Seed Extract) from EssentialSeries is a dietary supplement in vegetable capsules made from Vitis vinifera seed extract, standardized with a high content of Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins (95% OPC), plus Thiamine HCl and natural Vitamin C from acerola berry extract.
Grape seeds naturally contain fiber, proteins, lipids (in the form of fat and oil), carbohydrates, minerals, and between 5 and 8% native content of polyphenolic compounds (like tannins), depending on the variety and other factors such as climate, soil, or ripeness (Bordiga, 2015).
OPC Complex is a formula made from a grape seed extract standardized at high concentrations of the most representative compounds of Vitis vinifera: oligomeric proanthocyanidins.
HSN Formula | With all the guarantees
From certified species: 100% Vitis vinifera - The best source of OPCs
Grape seeds are the main byproduct of the grape processing industry used to make juices and wines. Grape seed is highly valuable for its polyphenol content.
Compounds like OPCs are found in many plants, as they’re not exclusive to grape seeds, but if we had to crown one source as the clear winner in terms of quantity and structure of these compounds, it’s grape seed.
| Source | mg of proanthocyanidins per 100g of food |
| Grape seeds | 3532 |
| Blueberries | 332 |
| Apples | 70-141 |
| Pears | 32-42 |
| Hazelnuts | 501 |
| Dark chocolate | 1636 |
At HSN we exclusively use seeds from the species Vitis vinifera to develop our product, 100% certified species without mixing or hybrids from other botanical species; ensuring the highest quality of the nutritionally active compounds naturally provided by the plant.
High concentration extract - 20:1 ratio - No harsh solvents used
To get the highest concentration of the nutritional constituents characteristic of grape seed, we concentrated the seeds into an extract 20 times more concentrated.
The extraction was done using gentle treatments on the raw material, avoiding extraction methods commonly used in the industry that use harsh solvents like acetone or methanol; at HSN we only use mild solvents to obtain the purest OPC extract, without altering their native oligomeric structures.
We control every detail of the extraction process to achieve the best quality of our herbal extracts, certifying species, identification, purity, and concentration. The best for your nutrition!
Production batches of grape seed extract are analyzed by highly sensitive lab methods to certify a minimum guaranteed content of 95% OPC, also ensuring their oligomeric structure.
OPCs with correct structure: Only dimers and trimers. Strict certified control
Proanthocyanidins are polymers mainly made up of monomers like catechins and epigallocatechins, and they usually have covalent bonds between carbons called 'type B', or form additional links between adjacent monomers called 'type A'.
The common natural connection of oligomeric proanthocyanidins, which is present in our OPC complex, is type B.
Referring to the grape seed itself from which we get our oligomeric proanthocyanidin-rich extract, the main subtypes of proanthocyanidins found are:
They contain exclusively dimers and trimers.
This is an important detail: many OPC supplements on the market claim to offer oligomeric proanthocyanidins when they really don’t, since this specific type of proanthocyanidins is limited to the union of two or three monomers, no more, because otherwise they form polymeric proanthocyanidins, which are different compounds with different nutritional kinetics.
Our OPC Complex provides 570 mg of real Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins, composed exclusively of dimers and trimers, per daily dose.
Formula completed with natural Vitamin C (from acerola) and Thiamine HCl - Synergistic activity
OPC Complex is a dietary supplement developed with a complete formula, as it provides a high concentration of water-soluble vitamins: C and B1.
Vitamin C is pure natural ascorbic acid from acerola berry extract (Malpighia glabra) added to the formula; and Vitamin B1 is provided as Thiamine Hydrochloride; both forms with high concentration and bioavailability.
What are OPCs?
In nature, oligomeric proanthocyanidins serve as defense mechanisms for plants against pathogens and predators.
Due to their unique aroma and special chemical structure, proanthocyanidins can repel insects and also support plants’ resistance against various stressors encountered during growth, boosting their survival rate under adverse conditions.
Properties of OPC Complex
The OPC Complex formula is especially linked to benefits for the circulatory system due to its compounds, partly because grape is a source of antioxidants and it has been shown that proanthocyanidins in grape seeds have several antioxidant activities.
First of all, thanks to the thiamine content, OPC Complex (Grape Seed Extract) supports normal heart function.
Also, it supports blood vessels themselves, partly due to its 'core' grape seed content, since Vitis vinifera contributes with a beneficial effect on blood pressure, and Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of blood vessels.
Product use and combination
OPC Complex, grape seed extract rich in Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins, is compatible with any dietary supplement as it has no general contraindications with other products; however, referring to recommended combinations with specific supplements, due to its functions, it’s often used together with:
Enjoy the highest quality dietary supplements at HSN.
Bibliographic references
- Schön, C., Allegrini, P., Engelhart-Jentzsch, K., Riva, A., & Petrangolini, G. (2021). Grape seed extract positively modulates blood pressure and perceived stress: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in healthy volunteers. Nutrients, 13(2), 1–18.
- Dillon, K. N., Shariffi, B., Thompson, B., Steele, R., & Kim, J. K. (2020). Effects of acute grape seed extract supplementation on hemodynamics in normal body weight and obese males. Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology, 66(5), 427–431.
- Taghizadeh, M., Malekian, E., Memarzadeh, M. R., Mohammadi, A. A., & Asemi, Z. (2016). Grape seed extract supplementation and the effects on the biomarkers of oxidative stress and metabolic profiles in female volleyball players: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal, 18(9), e31314.
- Rodríguez-Pérez, C., García-Villanova, B., Guerra-Hernández, E., & Verardo, V. (2019). Grape seeds proanthocyanidins: An overview of in vivo bioactivity in animal models. Nutrients, 11(10).
- Gupta, M., Dey, S., Marbaniang, D., Pal, P., Ray, S., & Mazumder, B. (2020). Grape seed extract: having a potential health benefits. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 57(4), 1205–1215.
