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The Health Benefits of Resveratrol
The potential health benefits of resveratrol look very promising. Here are the facts about
resveratrol that you need to know.
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 antiaging 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 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 fake celebrity endorsements.
They're also offering "free trials" of resveratrol supplements. When you provide your credit
card details to cover the 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.
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 health 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.
Click here for details on Vitabase's resveratrol supplement
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