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Grape seed oil (also called grapeseed oil or grape oil) is pressed from the seeds of grapes, and is thus an abundant by-product of winemaking.

Cooking
Grape seed oil has a moderately high smoke point of approximately 216 °C. As a result, it is better suited than several other cooking oils for high temperature cooking and can be safely used to cook at moderate temperatures during stir-frying, sautéing, or deep-frying. Due to its clean, light taste, and high polyunsaturated fat content, it is also used as an ingredient in salad dressings and mayonnaise and as a base for oil infusions of garlic, rosemary, or other herbs or spices. It is also an excellent for use in baked goods, pancakes, and waffles. It also is sprayed on raisins to help them retain their flavor.

The metabolic energy density of grape seed oil is typical of vegetable oils: approximately 3700 kJ per 100 g, or 500 kJ per 15 ml tablespoon.

Cosmetics
Grape seed oil is a preferred cosmetic ingredient for control of skin moisturization. Light and thin, grape seed oil leaves a glossy film over the skin when used as a carrier oil for essential oils in aromatherapy. It contains more linoleic acid than many other carrier oils. Grape seed oil is also used as a lubricant for shaving.

Potential medicinal benefits
Although grape seeds contain antioxidants and other biologically active compounds, the cold-pressed grape seed oil contains negligible amounts due to their insolubility in lipids. For instance, sufficiently high amounts of resveratrol occur in grape seed for it to be extracted commercially, yet it is almost entirely absent in the grape seed oil.

There may be health benefits from the oil itself. A 1993 study supports the claim that grape seed oil increases high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C or "good cholesterol") levels and reduces LDL levels.

Potential medicinal complications
Grapeseed oil may affect medications broken down by the liver.

Oligomeric proanthocyanidin complexes found in grapeseed extract found in grapeseed oil may react with anticoagulants and phenacetin.

Grapeseed oil has sometimes been found to contain dangerous levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons because of direct contact with combustion gases during the drying process.

Composition


The following table lists a typical fatty acid composition of grape seed oil:

Grape seed oil also contains 0.8 to 1.5% unsaponifiables rich in phenols (tocopherols) and steroids (campesterol, beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol). Grapeseed oil contains small amounts of vitamin E, but safflower oil, cottonseed oil, or rice bran oil contain greater amounts.