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The Benefits of Resveratrol
The potential benefits of resveratrol look very promising, but is resveratrol really the fountain of youth
that some are making it out to be?
Resveratrol is a naturally occurring substance found in grapes, red wine, peanuts, blueberries, bilberries,
cranberries and Japanese knotweed (a popular plant used for years in Asian medicine). Resveratrol works as a
natural antibiotic to protect plants against disease. Resveratrol is also a powerful antioxidant.
Resveratrol occurs in two forms, trans-resveratrol and cis-resveratrol. Trans-resveratrol is the form of
resveratrol that's being studied for potential health benefits and being talked about in the media.
In 1992, resveratrol was identified as a possible explanation of the so-called "French Paradox" in which the
French, who eat diets high in saturated fat, nonetheless have a low occurrence of heart disease. Some studies
have suggested that the key to this paradox is resveratrol - in the form of red wine consumed in large quantities
by the French.
In 2003, resveratrol was found to have anti-aging properties. A study showed that yeast treated with resveratrol
lived 60% longer. Since 2003, resveratrol has been shown to extend the lifespan of certain types of worms and flies
by nearly 30%, and a certain type of fish by almost 60%.
In 2006, researchers at Harvard Medical School and the National Institute on Aging (NIA) published results of
a study that showed resveratrol prevented the negative health effects of weight gain in mice and reduced the risk
of death by 31%. David Sinclair, co-author of the study, said: "The "healthspan" benefits we saw in the obese mice
treated with resveratrol, such as increased insulin sensitivity, decreased glucose levels, healthier heart and
liver tissues, are positive clinical indicators and may mean we can stave off in humans age-related diseases such
as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer, but only time and more research will tell."
In 2009, researchers at the the University of Glasgow and the University of Singapore published results of a
study that showed resveratrol halted acute inflammation in mice. According to the study's authors, these findings
indicate that resveratrol may be helpful in the treatment of a host of inflammatory diseases.
Arthur Polans, a professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, has been studying
resveratrol for over five years and has been using it to successfully treat several types of cancer in mice. So far,
Polans has shown that resveratrol shrinks tumors and kills malignant cells in five types of cancer: skin melanoma,
breast cancer, neuroblastoma, ocular melanoma and retinoblastoma.
Human clinical trials are currently being conducted to try and determine exactly what the health benefits of
resveratrol are for humans. But many people aren't waiting for the results of these trials and are already taking
resveratrol supplements.
If you're considering taking a resveratrol supplement, you need to know that many of the companies selling
resveratrol supplements are scamming people. They're using fake websites and blogs and fraudulent celebrity
endorsements. They're also offering "free trials" of resveratrol supplements. When you provide your credit card
details to cover shipping and handling for the "free trial," you find yourself enrolled in an "automatic shipment
program" that sends you inferior, overpriced resveratrol supplements and bills your credit card every month. The
details are usually spelled out in the website's fine print, but most people don't read that.
Make sure that you only purchase resveratrol supplements from a reputable company that sells high quality products.
Avoid all "free trials" of resveratrol supplements.
In conclusion, the potential benefits of resveratrol look very promising, which is why a growing number of people
are taking resveratrol supplements on a regular basis.
Recommended Resource
Vitabase is a well respected company
that sells a wide variety of high quality, reasonably priced dietary supplements, including an excellent
resveratrol supplement.
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