Is Resveratrol the Fountain of Youth?

[Guest guest]

Is Resveratrol the Fountain of Youth?

Monday, November 24, 2008

Byron s, CCN

http://www.wellnessresources.com/tips/articles/is_resveratrol_the_fountain_of_yo\

uth/?source=Email & camp=news112408

There are a lot of great anti-aging and metabolism boosting nutrients: DHA,

pantethine, acetyl-l-carnitine, carnosine, R-alpha lipoic acid, grape seed

extracts - the list goes on and on. In fact, most nutrients help cells

function better and thus live longer. So, why is resveratrol vying for the

position as King of the anti-aging nutrients - with a potent fat-burning

twist thrown in for good measure?

Maybe we should ask Big Pharma, who is spending a pile of cash on

metabolites of resveratrol that they hope to patent as weight loss drugs,

diabetes drugs, and a new generation of anti-aging medicines. Part of the

way resveratrol works is by activating a powerful metabolic fat-burning and

anti-aging gene called SIRT1. In newly published Big Pharma animal research

their resveratrol drug activated SIRT1, prevented weight gain on a high fat

diet, improved blood sugar and insulin function, and doubled the exercise

endurance of the mice.

Interestingly, resveratrol dietary supplements have been shown to do

essentially the same thing. The resveratrol drug (SRT1720) is apparently

six times more potent at activating SIRT1 than plain resveratrol. However,

plain resveratrol operates in a number of different ways besides activating

SIRT1, providing a broader base of potential health benefits including

comprehensive cardiovascular support.

What is Resveratrol?

Interest in resveratrol research took off when it was identified as a

component in red wine that may be partly responsible for the " French

Paradox, " the ability to eat a higher fat diet with less heart disease than

Americans. Research shows that resveratrol helps your liver metabolize fat

and helps break down stored fat contained in your white adipose tissue.

Resveratrol is a type of polyphenol known as a stilbenoid, which is produced

in grapes and blueberries to protect themselves from bacterial and fungal

infection, and to a lesser extent from UV radiation. It was discovered that

grapes growing in damp and moldy areas had the highest content of

resveratrol of any known commonly consumed food/beverage. Resveratrol is

obviously a potent anti-fungal compound and antioxidant.

Resveratrol is a different compound than the flavonoid proanthocyanidins of

grape seed extracts, which also contribute to the notion of the French

Paradox. Blueberries, by comparison, also contain flavonoids and a

different stilbenoid called pterostilbene (pronounced " tero-STILL-bean " ).

Significant research at the USDA has shown that pterostilbene has a powerful

ability to influence the metabolism of cholesterol and the synthesis of

triglycerides by improving metabolism within cells, as well as providing

brain-protecting anti-aging properties.

The amount of resveratrol in a bottle of red wine varies from 2 mg to 14 mg,

mostly on the lower side. Dietary supplements of resveratrol are typically

derived from the roots of Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum), a far

more economical source than grapes. Doses will range from a basic

protective dose of a few milligrams (like a bottle of red wine), up to 100

mg per serving or more (a therapeutic dose). It is readily absorbed,

reaching peak blood levels in 30 minutes, and then rather rapidly cleared by

your liver. Thus, it is better to spread out intake during the day than

take a large amount all at once.

At this point, other than the colorful history and longevity benefits

associated with red wine consumption, the majority of the extensive

resveratrol research has been carried out with cell studies and small

animals. The implications of this research are mind-boggling, clearly

showing significant extension of life span.

The Fat-Burning and Anti-Aging Properties of Resveratrol

SIRT1 first drew attention as the primary gene signal involved with the

longevity benefits of calorie restriction. A very simple explanation is that

when you are in a food scarcity situation, SIRT1 is activated so as to help

break down your stored fat to use as fuel as well as to boost up your energy

so that you have enough energy to hunt for new food. SIRT1 is part of a

famine-related survival system.

Many experiments with animals show that by restricting calorie intake SIRT1

is naturally activated, a finding that goes along with a noticeably extended

lifespan, better fat and cholesterol metabolism, more efficient immune

function, and better cardiovascular health. A number of humans have taken

up calorie restriction experiments on themselves, and pictures of them do

not portray the portrait of health. In fact, you would be hard pressed to

pick out of a line-up someone on a self-induced calorie restriction diet and

someone coming in for anorexia treatment. Which gets to my point, what is

the difference between a calorie restriction diet and anorexia?

I have studied the calorie restriction science for 20 years and I am also

the leading diet expert on the fat-derived hormone leptin, which is the

overall boss hormone that controls your metabolic rate and your ability to

survive a period of famine. Thus, I will give you answers in this area that

you won't find elsewhere. There is a very fine line between prolonged

calorie restriction and anorexia.

In the case of someone consuming too much food, their extra pounds of fat

crank out inflammatory messengers (TNFa and IL6), in turn stimulating the

liver to make the inflammatory CRP. This combination of inflammation

induces significant free radical damage in the circulatory system and all

around the body. As the waistline expands the volume knob on inflammation

and free radical production is turned up. At the same time the liver

becomes clogged with fat, which in turn is " cooked " by free radicals from

the inflammation, eventually sending the liver on the path to looking like a

fried piece of bacon. Arteries are also getting fat around the outside of

the arterial wall structure, in turn generating more inflammation to the

inside of arteries and deactivating friendly nitric oxide production. This

makes blood pressure go up and blood not flow well and further induces free

radical production in arteries that damages LDL cholesterol, promoting the

formation of plaque.

In this scenario leptin levels are also high (leptin resistance), which

lowers another fat-derived hormone called adiponectin, in turn causing a bad

mood and insulin resistance that leads to type II diabetes. Leptin problems

cripple thyroid function as well as promoting never-ending cravings to eat

more food. This is the precise metabolic profile of millions of Americans

on the fast track to diabetes, heart disease, and poor health. Ironically,

they are being poisoned to death by too much food with no easy way out of

the misguided subconscious drive to continue excess eating.

It is important to understand that just about everyone who is overweight and

having trouble with their cravings has high leptin in their blood (leptin

resistance), and that leptin is not getting into their brains correctly (a

false state of misperceived starvation). Leptin resistance is caused by

consistently eating meals that are too large, by eating after dinner at

night, and by snacking.

Human beings do not have the genes to deal with the abuse of eating too much

food, as during evolution this was never the problem. Rather, a scarcity of

food was the primary issue that constantly threatened the survival of the

human race - and so it is that we have a lot of mechanisms built in to help

deal with starvation. The ability to survive famine is controlled by

leptin. During famine leptin levels have gone low as your fat mass that

secretes leptin in the first place has been reduced in size to use the

stored fat for energy, which is how your subconscious brain knows a famine

is occurring. In response to this low-leptin famine issue, your liver turns

on the production of SIRT1. This helps your liver know to break down fat to

use as fuel, not store calories as fat, as well as to boost physical energy

to be able to hunt or gather new food.

Considering all the interest in both SIRT1 and leptin, the number of studies

linking the function of the two is remarkably absent from the literature.

New research shows that SIRT1 is active in key regions of your brain that

relate to appetite and energy, which are governed by leptin. Leptin

deficient mice do not activate SIRT1 properly, and are always obese. The

details of this relationship are far from clear. It is easy to predict that

low levels of leptin from true starvation are able to trigger SIRT1

activation in your liver based on messages received from SIRT1 signaling

systems in your brain. It is also easy to predict that high levels of

leptin in your blood (obesity-related leptin resistance) turn SIRT1 off as

they would be signaling your liver that famine is over or not happening.

As you begin to diet (especially if you follow the Leptin Diet) and drop

your first 10-15 pounds you will clear high leptin from your blood, which is

always reflected by your cravings going away. For a while your body is set

to burn more calories based on your pre-dieting metabolic set point. The

problem for many people is that you hit a plateau after a month or so of

dieting that is too far from your goal weight.

If you eat less you can't function. Your head is heavy, you are irritable,

your sleep gets disturbed, your immune system goes on the blink, and you are

much more likely to get sick. If you exercise more you must eat more or you

will be completely exhausted and feel even worse. If you get stressed,

unlike the stress-free monkeys practicing calorie restriction, you are in

real trouble and likely to eat the house down. Yes, you are practicing

calorie restriction - how on earth is this state of feeling going to help

you live longer? Answer - its not. You start generating inflammation the

longer you are in this condition. The inflammation is no longer coming from

your extra pounds of fat. It is coming from the trauma of the diet combined

with stressors in your life.

Under these circumstances you are much more likely to break down muscle, a

key sign of inappropriate weight loss. If you keep trying to lose weight

while you feel this way you may be able to do so, but you will progressively

lose more muscle, increase inflammation, generate a lot of free radical

damage, disturb digestion, get sick really easily, and presto - you are

anorexic. Funny thing is, you may still be an overweight anorexic. Wow -

is that any way to diet?

If you start eating more food you will feel much better. Unfortunately, you

messed with leptin in the wrong way. Leptin now turns off SIRT1 and goes

into a famine-recovery mode. It commands that a large portion of the

calories you are now eating go back to fat storage. Most people find

themselves rapidly gaining weight on formerly normal amounts of food. Once

the yo-yo routine comes to a halt you are likely to find yourself 5-10

pounds heavier than when you first started, as an insurance policy in case

you attempt another dieting stunt in the future.

Solving this dilemma requires that you eat in harmony with leptin, which

means following the five simple rules of the Leptin Diet. In many cases you

will never hit this problematic plateau. However, many people will,

especially if they have a history of yo-yo dieting. Enter resveratrol.

Resveratrol is an ideal nutrient to enhance weight loss and maintain energy

ONCE YOU HAVE GOTTEN PAST THE INITITAL PHASE OF 10-15 POUNDS OF WEIGHT LOSS,

especially if you are getting stuck at a plateau.

Resveratrol will help turn on the SIRT1 gene, which will promote fat-burning

in the presence of lower calorie intake. This is a terrific use of this

nutrient. How do you know its working? You have energy to exercise, you

feel good, and your weight is trending downward while you are happy eating

less food. This either is or isn't happening, thus it isn't very hard to

figure out if resveratrol helps you.

One of the real values of this nutrient in the weight management context is

helping you to not slide into an inflammatory anorexic-like metabolic

problem as you try to lose weight. It is also a tool to help you break

through weight loss plateaus should they occur. Resveratrol will work best

when you are eating less food and have already cleared surplus leptin out of

your blood through initial dieting efforts. However, you don't need to eat

so little that you are on the scarecrow diet.

Research indicates that resveratrol will still help you out even if you aren't

dieting or you don't need to lose weight. After all, the French had

resveratrol in their diet when they were mostly thin. I might point out,

however, that while the French were eating a higher saturated fat diet they

were not overeating, their food was fresh and mostly organic, and they did

not snack. The effects of resveratrol will be easily overloaded by

overeating. Even the French Paradox has been doomed by an epidemic of

leptin-disrupting snacking and junk food consumption.

Having a large waistline is clearly linked to premature death, a risk that

goes up in direct proportion to your waistline's rate of expansion.

Anything safe and natural that can help you get it back to optimal and keep

it that way qualifies as life extending.

Cardiovascular and Other Benefits of Resveratrol

Simply losing weight healthfully will improve your cardiovascular health.

If resveratrol is able to help you in this endeavor, regardless of any other

cardiovascular help it provides, then it is a success as a cardio-friendly

nutrient.

There is plenty of animal and cell science to predict that resveratrol

assists the healthy structure and function of your cardiovascular system in

multiple ways. It has been found to reduce the stickiness or adherence of

immune cells to the walls of arteries, prevent adverse changes in the smooth

muscle cells of arteries that lead to plaque accumulation, boost friendly

nitric oxide levels (eNOS) that relax arteries and improve blood flow, help

keep platelets from sticking together, reduce irregular heart beats, and

reduce circulatory inflammation. It even helps protect against circulatory

damage from high blood sugar. Keep in mind that in " modern " medicine, each

one of these points requires a different drug that has other adverse side

effects.

One of the first human resveratrol studies shows that resveratrol improved

heart function in type II diabetic patients following a heart attack.

Resveratrol, like grape seed extract, operates in part as a protector of

human body structure. This is clearly related to its anti-oxidant and

anti-inflammatory properties, which include regulation of the primary

inflammatory gene switch NF-kappaB. New animal and cell studies shows it

helps bone health, reduces cataracts, helps coordination, reduces disk

deterioration and protects joints, guards against Parkinson's, improves

erectile performance, protects the liver, protects the pancreas, and helps

regulate cell health while protecting against adverse cell changes.

This is a rather impressive array of science-backed support for any one

nutrient. Maybe the anti-aging promise is real. The explosion of

scientific interest in the compound ensures that you will be hearing a lot

more about it in the very near future.

Common doses of resveratrol that show benefit and safety in animal studies

range from 2.5 mg - to 10 mg per kilogram. This translates to an

approximate dose range of 150 mg - 700 mg per day for a 150 pound adult, a

sensible and safe dose range until more data is in.

[Guest guest]

excellent article worth rereading! 

From: stardora@... <stardora@...>

Subject: Is Resveratrol the Fountain of Youth?

To:

Cc: " AAR " <AntiAgingResearch >, Longevity

Date: Monday, November 24, 2008, 3:23 PM

Is Resveratrol the Fountain of Youth?

Monday, November 24, 2008

Byron s, CCN

http://www.wellness resources. com/tips/ articles/ is_resveratrol_ the_fountain_

of_youth/ ?source=Email & camp=news112408

There are a lot of great anti-aging and metabolism boosting nutrients: DHA,

pantethine, acetyl-l-carnitine, carnosine, R-alpha lipoic acid, grape seed

extracts - the list goes on and on. In fact, most nutrients help cells

function better and thus live longer. So, why is resveratrol vying for the

position as King of the anti-aging nutrients - with a potent fat-burning

twist thrown in for good measure?

Maybe we should ask Big Pharma, who is spending a pile of cash on

metabolites of resveratrol that they hope to patent as weight loss drugs,

diabetes drugs, and a new generation of anti-aging medicines. Part of the

way resveratrol works is by activating a powerful metabolic fat-burning and

anti-aging gene called SIRT1. In newly published Big Pharma animal research

their resveratrol drug activated SIRT1, prevented weight gain on a high fat

diet, improved blood sugar and insulin function, and doubled the exercise

endurance of the mice.

Interestingly, resveratrol dietary supplements have been shown to do

essentially the same thing. The resveratrol drug (SRT1720) is apparently

six times more potent at activating SIRT1 than plain resveratrol. However,

plain resveratrol operates in a number of different ways besides activating

SIRT1, providing a broader base of potential health benefits including

comprehensive cardiovascular support.

What is Resveratrol?

Interest in resveratrol research took off when it was identified as a

component in red wine that may be partly responsible for the " French

Paradox, " the ability to eat a higher fat diet with less heart disease than

Americans. Research shows that resveratrol helps your liver metabolize fat

and helps break down stored fat contained in your white adipose tissue.

Resveratrol is a type of polyphenol known as a stilbenoid, which is produced

in grapes and blueberries to protect themselves from bacterial and fungal

infection, and to a lesser extent from UV radiation. It was discovered that

grapes growing in damp and moldy areas had the highest content of

resveratrol of any known commonly consumed food/beverage. Resveratrol is

obviously a potent anti-fungal compound and antioxidant.

Resveratrol is a different compound than the flavonoid proanthocyanidins of

grape seed extracts, which also contribute to the notion of the French

Paradox. Blueberries, by comparison, also contain flavonoids and a

different stilbenoid called pterostilbene (pronounced " tero-STILL- bean " ).

Significant research at the USDA has shown that pterostilbene has a powerful

ability to influence the metabolism of cholesterol and the synthesis of

triglycerides by improving metabolism within cells, as well as providing

brain-protecting anti-aging properties.

The amount of resveratrol in a bottle of red wine varies from 2 mg to 14 mg,

mostly on the lower side. Dietary supplements of resveratrol are typically

derived from the roots of Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum), a far

more economical source than grapes. Doses will range from a basic

protective dose of a few milligrams (like a bottle of red wine), up to 100

mg per serving or more (a therapeutic dose). It is readily absorbed,

reaching peak blood levels in 30 minutes, and then rather rapidly cleared by

your liver. Thus, it is better to spread out intake during the day than

take a large amount all at once.

At this point, other than the colorful history and longevity benefits

associated with red wine consumption, the majority of the extensive

resveratrol research has been carried out with cell studies and small

animals. The implications of this research are mind-boggling, clearly

showing significant extension of life span.

The Fat-Burning and Anti-Aging Properties of Resveratrol

SIRT1 first drew attention as the primary gene signal involved with the

longevity benefits of calorie restriction. A very simple explanation is that

when you are in a food scarcity situation, SIRT1 is activated so as to help

break down your stored fat to use as fuel as well as to boost up your energy

so that you have enough energy to hunt for new food. SIRT1 is part of a

famine-related survival system.

Many experiments with animals show that by restricting calorie intake SIRT1

is naturally activated, a finding that goes along with a noticeably extended

lifespan, better fat and cholesterol metabolism, more efficient immune

function, and better cardiovascular health. A number of humans have taken

up calorie restriction experiments on themselves, and pictures of them do

not portray the portrait of health. In fact, you would be hard pressed to

pick out of a line-up someone on a self-induced calorie restriction diet and

someone coming in for anorexia treatment. Which gets to my point, what is

the difference between a calorie restriction diet and anorexia?

I have studied the calorie restriction science for 20 years and I am also

the leading diet expert on the fat-derived hormone leptin, which is the

overall boss hormone that controls your metabolic rate and your ability to

survive a period of famine. Thus, I will give you answers in this area that

you won't find elsewhere. There is a very fine line between prolonged

calorie restriction and anorexia.

In the case of someone consuming too much food, their extra pounds of fat

crank out inflammatory messengers (TNFa and IL6), in turn stimulating the

liver to make the inflammatory CRP. This combination of inflammation

induces significant free radical damage in the circulatory system and all

around the body. As the waistline expands the volume knob on inflammation

and free radical production is turned up. At the same time the liver

becomes clogged with fat, which in turn is " cooked " by free radicals from

the inflammation, eventually sending the liver on the path to looking like a

fried piece of bacon. Arteries are also getting fat around the outside of

the arterial wall structure, in turn generating more inflammation to the

inside of arteries and deactivating friendly nitric oxide production. This

makes blood pressure go up and blood not flow well and further induces free

radical production in arteries that damages LDL cholesterol, promoting the

formation of plaque.

In this scenario leptin levels are also high (leptin resistance), which

lowers another fat-derived hormone called adiponectin, in turn causing a bad

mood and insulin resistance that leads to type II diabetes. Leptin problems

cripple thyroid function as well as promoting never-ending cravings to eat

more food. This is the precise metabolic profile of millions of Americans

on the fast track to diabetes, heart disease, and poor health. Ironically,

they are being poisoned to death by too much food with no easy way out of

the misguided subconscious drive to continue excess eating.

It is important to understand that just about everyone who is overweight and

having trouble with their cravings has high leptin in their blood (leptin

resistance), and that leptin is not getting into their brains correctly (a

false state of misperceived starvation). Leptin resistance is caused by

consistently eating meals that are too large, by eating after dinner at

night, and by snacking.

Human beings do not have the genes to deal with the abuse of eating too much

food, as during evolution this was never the problem. Rather, a scarcity of

food was the primary issue that constantly threatened the survival of the

human race - and so it is that we have a lot of mechanisms built in to help

deal with starvation. The ability to survive famine is controlled by

leptin. During famine leptin levels have gone low as your fat mass that

secretes leptin in the first place has been reduced in size to use the

stored fat for energy, which is how your subconscious brain knows a famine

is occurring. In response to this low-leptin famine issue, your liver turns

on the production of SIRT1. This helps your liver know to break down fat to

use as fuel, not store calories as fat, as well as to boost physical energy

to be able to hunt or gather new food.

Considering all the interest in both SIRT1 and leptin, the number of studies

linking the function of the two is remarkably absent from the literature.

New research shows that SIRT1 is active in key regions of your brain that

relate to appetite and energy, which are governed by leptin. Leptin

deficient mice do not activate SIRT1 properly, and are always obese. The

details of this relationship are far from clear. It is easy to predict that

low levels of leptin from true starvation are able to trigger SIRT1

activation in your liver based on messages received from SIRT1 signaling

systems in your brain. It is also easy to predict that high levels of

leptin in your blood (obesity-related leptin resistance) turn SIRT1 off as

they would be signaling your liver that famine is over or not happening.

As you begin to diet (especially if you follow the Leptin Diet) and drop

your first 10-15 pounds you will clear high leptin from your blood, which is

always reflected by your cravings going away. For a while your body is set

to burn more calories based on your pre-dieting metabolic set point. The

problem for many people is that you hit a plateau after a month or so of

dieting that is too far from your goal weight.

If you eat less you can't function. Your head is heavy, you are irritable,

your sleep gets disturbed, your immune system goes on the blink, and you are

much more likely to get sick. If you exercise more you must eat more or you

will be completely exhausted and feel even worse. If you get stressed,

unlike the stress-free monkeys practicing calorie restriction, you are in

real trouble and likely to eat the house down. Yes, you are practicing

calorie restriction - how on earth is this state of feeling going to help

you live longer? Answer - its not. You start generating inflammation the

longer you are in this condition. The inflammation is no longer coming from

your extra pounds of fat. It is coming from the trauma of the diet combined

with stressors in your life.

Under these circumstances you are much more likely to break down muscle, a

key sign of inappropriate weight loss. If you keep trying to lose weight

while you feel this way you may be able to do so, but you will progressively

lose more muscle, increase inflammation, generate a lot of free radical

damage, disturb digestion, get sick really easily, and presto - you are

anorexic. Funny thing is, you may still be an overweight anorexic. Wow -

is that any way to diet?

If you start eating more food you will feel much better. Unfortunately, you

messed with leptin in the wrong way. Leptin now turns off SIRT1 and goes

into a famine-recovery mode. It commands that a large portion of the

calories you are now eating go back to fat storage. Most people find

themselves rapidly gaining weight on formerly normal amounts of food. Once

the yo-yo routine comes to a halt you are likely to find yourself 5-10

pounds heavier than when you first started, as an insurance policy in case

you attempt another dieting stunt in the future.

Solving this dilemma requires that you eat in harmony with leptin, which

means following the five simple rules of the Leptin Diet. In many cases you

will never hit this problematic plateau. However, many people will,

especially if they have a history of yo-yo dieting. Enter resveratrol.

Resveratrol is an ideal nutrient to enhance weight loss and maintain energy

ONCE YOU HAVE GOTTEN PAST THE INITITAL PHASE OF 10-15 POUNDS OF WEIGHT LOSS,

especially if you are getting stuck at a plateau.

Resveratrol will help turn on the SIRT1 gene, which will promote fat-burning

in the presence of lower calorie intake. This is a terrific use of this

nutrient. How do you know its working? You have energy to exercise, you

feel good, and your weight is trending downward while you are happy eating

less food. This either is or isn't happening, thus it isn't very hard to

figure out if resveratrol helps you.

One of the real values of this nutrient in the weight management context is

helping you to not slide into an inflammatory anorexic-like metabolic

problem as you try to lose weight. It is also a tool to help you break

through weight loss plateaus should they occur. Resveratrol will work best

when you are eating less food and have already cleared surplus leptin out of

your blood through initial dieting efforts. However, you don't need to eat

so little that you are on the scarecrow diet.

Research indicates that resveratrol will still help you out even if you aren't

dieting or you don't need to lose weight. After all, the French had

resveratrol in their diet when they were mostly thin. I might point out,

however, that while the French were eating a higher saturated fat diet they

were not overeating, their food was fresh and mostly organic, and they did

not snack. The effects of resveratrol will be easily overloaded by

overeating. Even the French Paradox has been doomed by an epidemic of

leptin-disrupting snacking and junk food consumption.

Having a large waistline is clearly linked to premature death, a risk that

goes up in direct proportion to your waistline's rate of expansion.

Anything safe and natural that can help you get it back to optimal and keep

it that way qualifies as life extending.

Cardiovascular and Other Benefits of Resveratrol

Simply losing weight healthfully will improve your cardiovascular health.

If resveratrol is able to help you in this endeavor, regardless of any other

cardiovascular help it provides, then it is a success as a cardio-friendly

nutrient.

There is plenty of animal and cell science to predict that resveratrol

assists the healthy structure and function of your cardiovascular system in

multiple ways. It has been found to reduce the stickiness or adherence of

immune cells to the walls of arteries, prevent adverse changes in the smooth

muscle cells of arteries that lead to plaque accumulation, boost friendly

nitric oxide levels (eNOS) that relax arteries and improve blood flow, help

keep platelets from sticking together, reduce irregular heart beats, and

reduce circulatory inflammation. It even helps protect against circulatory

damage from high blood sugar. Keep in mind that in " modern " medicine, each

one of these points requires a different drug that has other adverse side

effects.

One of the first human resveratrol studies shows that resveratrol improved

heart function in type II diabetic patients following a heart attack.

Resveratrol, like grape seed extract, operates in part as a protector of

human body structure. This is clearly related to its anti-oxidant and

anti-inflammatory properties, which include regulation of the primary

inflammatory gene switch NF-kappaB. New animal and cell studies shows it

helps bone health, reduces cataracts, helps coordination, reduces disk

deterioration and protects joints, guards against Parkinson's, improves

erectile performance, protects the liver, protects the pancreas, and helps

regulate cell health while protecting against adverse cell changes.

This is a rather impressive array of science-backed support for any one

nutrient. Maybe the anti-aging promise is real. The explosion of

scientific interest in the compound ensures that you will be hearing a lot

more about it in the very near future.

Common doses of resveratrol that show benefit and safety in animal studies

range from 2.5 mg - to 10 mg per kilogram. This translates to an

approximate dose range of 150 mg - 700 mg per day for a 150 pound adult, a

sensible and safe dose range until more data is in.