The Benefits of Resveratrol
There has been a lot of focus on resveratrol and its promising health benefits in recent times and following widely publicized television coverage, an increased demand for it but lets take a look at what resveratrol really is and why there is such interest.
Resveratrol is a substance produced by some plants when they are threatened by infection from a fungus or bacteria. It is anti-microbial, helping to fight infection by acting as a defender against attacking bacterial or fungal cells. Resveratrol exists in two forms, the cis type and the trans type, it is the trans type that shows such promise as a health supplement.
There are many different sources of resveratrol, it is found in the skins of red wine grapes and the wine made from them, it can also be found in peanuts, cranberries and several other foods. Its concentration in wine varies greatly with the type of wine and where it comes from. It is thought by some to be the reason for the ‘French Paradox ’, the apparent ability of Mediterranean people to consume seemingly unhealthy diets without all the ill effects.
Experiments on laboratory animals have shown several health benefits. In some well documented experiments mice given a high fat diet and also resveratrol had a much reduced risk of death compared to those given the high fat diet without the resveratrol.
Those mice were found to have approximately normal levels of insulin and blood glucose though their cholesterol levels were high. Interestingly the life extending properties seen in mice appear to have been mainly in older mice rather than in mice given resveratrol supplements from an earlier age.
Anti-aging benefits were also demonstrated when an Italian team of scientists conducting experiments on fish found that resveratrol could extend their lifespan considerably. This was the first such demonstration in a vertebrate, previous experiments having been on fruit flies and worms.
Resveratrol shows anti-cancer properties too for some forms of cancer. Experiments on lab mice show success with skin cancers and test tube experiments show resveratrol attacks other cancers such as colon and breast cancer.
One challenge scientists face is that of figuring out a reliable method of getting the right dose of resveratrol actively working to combat cancer. This challenge arises because resveratrol needs to be preserved for long enough in the body to reach the bloodstream without being broken down. One possibility is that of taking resveratrol in a form which allows it to be absorbed from the mouth directly into the bloodstream. Various methods of delivery are now under investigation from mouthwashes to lozenges and even gum.
Get more information on resveratrol benefits, check out this article resveratrol weight control and remember if trying resveratrol be aware there are many different formulations available and they are certainly not all the same strength or quality. Get yours from a reputable supplier.
