Further Information on Resveratrol

In our last post, we gave you some information on Resveratrol.  Since then, we’ve been asked for more information.  Well, more information on the way!  A new study white paper completely exploring resveratrol has been published, and it’s a fantastic document with informative links to outside sources and, we feel, is a fantastic source for information on the subject.  For example:

Resveratrol and Heart Disease:

Numerous in vitro and animal studies have supported the therapeutic potential of resveratrol in coronary heart disease. For example, a 2000 study in Taiwan (Hung et al.) showed that resveratrol’s antioxidant activity and the increase in nitrous oxide production it caused protected rats from arrhythmia (variation from the normal rhythm of the heartbeat) during ischemic reperfusion (the restoration of normal blood flow to an area experiencing obstruction of blood flow). In 2001, a study from the New York Medical College (Wu et al.) described the mechanisms that may enable resveratrol to protect the heart. Other studies have demonstrated that resveratrol can help lower levels of “bad cholesterol,” or low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which causes atherosclerosis. A placebo-controlled Greek study in 2005 (Lekakis et al.), one of the few studies of resveratrol and CHD to use human subjects, demonstrated that an extract of red-grape polyphenols (including resveratrol) caused a significant improvement in cardiac endothelial function.

Resveratrol and Cancer

In describing the connection found between resveratrol and cancer, Brown says that high doses of resveratrol increase “the process of apoptosis or programmed cell death to remove cellular debris… high-dose resveratrol prevents cancers.” Apoptosis is defined as “a form of cell death in which a programmed sequence of events leads to the elimination of cells without releasing harmful substances into the surrounding area.” Sometimes called “cell suicide,” apoptosis enables the human body to replace something like one million cells per second. The process gets rid of old or unhealthy cells, as well as cells that are unnecessary; but to maintain health, it is critical that just the right amount of apoptosis should take place. In this way, a high dose of resveratrol prevents cancers by tipping the delicate balance of apoptosis and killing cancerous cells.

Resveratrol and Aging

It may be overly simplistic to say that resveratrol slows aging. However, there is mounting evidence that as a potent sirtuin activator, resveratrol is likely to be effective against one or more of the diseases that make aging difficult and unpleasant for many people. A person who is 80 years old, taking a resveratrol dosage prescribed by a doctor, and totally free of any of the “aging diseases,” might be living life with as much zest and energy as a person of 40! In such a case, that person might feel justified in insisting that resveratrol does slow aging.

Resveratrol and Alzheimer’s Disease

Ongoing research strongly supports the idea that for many diseases associated with aging – including Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Huntington’s – resveratrol may have the potential to slow or stop disease progression. Such research also offers the possibility for developing powerful synthetic analogs – drugs based on resveratrol, and possessing resveratrol’s neuroprotective power. These analogs may provide us in the near future with a way to reverse the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

Resveratrol and Weight Loss

Although clinical trials in humans have not yet been conducted for resveratrol as a treatment for obesity, animal studies continue to suggest that resveratrol might assist in weight loss. If it mimics “the positive effect of calorie restriction” – read calorie-reduced dieting – and it also increases physical stamina, thus making it possible for overweight and obese individuals to exercise more… it certainly seems plausible that resveratrol could be beneficial in this way. Talk with your physician if you’re considering taking resveratrol for weight loss, as you would before taking any other non-prescription health preparation.

Resveratrol Supplements

If you’re careful about the resveratrol supplements you select; read the labels carefully and know what you’re looking for; and if you avoid being too credulous of the ads you’ll see on television and the World Wide Web, you should be able to locate high-quality resveratrol supplements. And if you take them as directed, you may find yourself feeling better, more energetic, and confident that you’re doing something that recent research shows to be beneficial and healthful.

Resveratrol and Quercetin

Some recent research has suggested that quercetin boosts resveratrol. Impressive as the effects of resveratrol may be alone, it seems they may be enhanced by working together with quercetin. Although resveratrol shows a high rate of absorption when taken orally, its bioavailability is relatively low, because it is metabolized and eliminated very rapidly. Several in vitro studies point to the flavonoid quercetin, which inhibits some of the enzymes that enable the conversion of resveratrol to its metabolites in the body. In addition, quercetin appears to prevent the sulphation (conversion to a salt of sulphuric acid) of resveratrol within the gut. Both of these actions increase the rate and amount of the compound that is absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract.

Although in depth studies of resveratrol have just begun, the excitement generated by this natural substance is increasing daily.  We will try to have more information on resveratrol as soon as possible.