After watching the news and reading all the publicity are you still wondering-- does resveratrol work? There have been numerous discussions on the subject in the media ranging from Oprah to 60 Minutes over the past few years.
At this point, what do we really know? Resveratrol was discovered in 1941 as a constituent of red grape skins and red wine.
For years it was thought to be another powerful antioxidant from the flavonoid family.
These plant derived chemicals are important to humans in that they suppress many of the negative effects our bodies generate in response to the chemicals in food, the environment, sunshine and the air we breathe.
For years it was thought that the flavonoids as a group were responsible for the health benefits that apparently came from red wine.
You may have heard about the French paradox in the media.
The paradox is that the French have the highest calorie, highest fat diets that exist on planet earth, yet manage to live longer than anyone in the Western hemisphere.
It is the daily consumption of a bottle or so of red wine that was given credit for keeping the French upright but no one knew exactly how.
Starting in 2003 several studies pointed the way.
Originally, organisms such as yeast were fed high doses of resveratrol and their lifespan increased over 50%.
By 2006 studies on mammals were showing similar results.
What was also discovered that year was that lower doses worked just as well.
The question to ask now is: how does resveratrol work? The flavonoid theory I mentioned earlier has some validity.
There is overwhelming support in the scientific community that, as a group, they have an enormous capability to fight heart disease, asthma, peptic ulcers and cancer.
With red grapes and wines there seems to be something else happening.
There is a group of 7 enzymes called Sitruins common to humans and higher mammals.
The first of these, Sirt 1, is called the DNA repair gene and is very important in our bodies fight against the ravages of old age.
What normally happens is that a reduction of calories in our diets causes Sirt 1 and perhaps some of the others to act as cell guardians that delay cell decline and death.
Again, how does resveratrol work? It works by convincing Sirt 1 there is a calorie reduction in our diets even if we are eating the same amount of calories.
Sirt 1 gives us the anti-aging rewards with less effort on our part.
This process when combined with the flavonoid action makes red grape skins, red wine or supplements in an important addition to our nutritional plan.
It is important to note here that there still is no substitute for a healthy diet and balanced supplementation.
It is also possible to get all the resvertrol you need in a multi-nutrient supplement.
Remember, the proper nutrient balance is more desirable than high doses.
At this point, what do we really know? Resveratrol was discovered in 1941 as a constituent of red grape skins and red wine.
For years it was thought to be another powerful antioxidant from the flavonoid family.
These plant derived chemicals are important to humans in that they suppress many of the negative effects our bodies generate in response to the chemicals in food, the environment, sunshine and the air we breathe.
For years it was thought that the flavonoids as a group were responsible for the health benefits that apparently came from red wine.
You may have heard about the French paradox in the media.
The paradox is that the French have the highest calorie, highest fat diets that exist on planet earth, yet manage to live longer than anyone in the Western hemisphere.
It is the daily consumption of a bottle or so of red wine that was given credit for keeping the French upright but no one knew exactly how.
Starting in 2003 several studies pointed the way.
Originally, organisms such as yeast were fed high doses of resveratrol and their lifespan increased over 50%.
By 2006 studies on mammals were showing similar results.
What was also discovered that year was that lower doses worked just as well.
The question to ask now is: how does resveratrol work? The flavonoid theory I mentioned earlier has some validity.
There is overwhelming support in the scientific community that, as a group, they have an enormous capability to fight heart disease, asthma, peptic ulcers and cancer.
With red grapes and wines there seems to be something else happening.
There is a group of 7 enzymes called Sitruins common to humans and higher mammals.
The first of these, Sirt 1, is called the DNA repair gene and is very important in our bodies fight against the ravages of old age.
What normally happens is that a reduction of calories in our diets causes Sirt 1 and perhaps some of the others to act as cell guardians that delay cell decline and death.
Again, how does resveratrol work? It works by convincing Sirt 1 there is a calorie reduction in our diets even if we are eating the same amount of calories.
Sirt 1 gives us the anti-aging rewards with less effort on our part.
This process when combined with the flavonoid action makes red grape skins, red wine or supplements in an important addition to our nutritional plan.
It is important to note here that there still is no substitute for a healthy diet and balanced supplementation.
It is also possible to get all the resvertrol you need in a multi-nutrient supplement.
Remember, the proper nutrient balance is more desirable than high doses.