The new wonder supplement – Resveratrol?

Have you ever been to France, Italy, or Greece? One thing you will notice right away is that their diets are loaded with fat, olive oil and wine at almost every meal. For decades, scientists and nutritional experts have wondered why these Mediterranean cultures live so long with such low incidence of heart disease and other killers. These cultures have a diet rich in Resveratrol.

A new study shows that high doses of Resveratrol may improve brain blood flow and could potentially boost brain health. Resveratrol is a bioactive compound found in grapes and red wine. Interest in this compound began in 2003 when research showed that Resveratrol was able to increase the lifespan of yeast cells. NutraIngredients notes that:

“…studies in nematode worms, fruit flies, fish and mice have linked Resveratrol to longer lives. Other studies with only resveratrol have reported anti-cancer effects, anti-inflammatory effects, cardiovascular benefits, anti-diabetes potential, energy endurance enhancement and protection against Alzheimer’s.”

Study participants taking 250 or 500 milligrams of Resveratrol experienced a dose-dependent increase in cerebral blood flow. This suggests that Resveratrol may play a role in keeping your brain function healthy.

Resveratrol has been called the modern-day fountain of youth because it appears to slow down aging and even increase the lifespan of human cells.

Sources:

* NutraIngredients, May 5, 2010
* American journal of Clinical Nutrition, March, 2010
* Mercola.com

Benefits of Resveratrol

Resveratrol can modify inflammation in your body by helping prevent your body from creating sphingosine kinase and phospholipase D — two molecules known to trigger inflammation. Chronic inflammation is not beneficial, and in fact has been linked to numerous chronic diseases including heart disease.

Resveratrol also seems to produce many similar benefits as exercise, including lowering insulin levels, which is a key to fighting disease and staying young. It is also a potent antioxidant, and antioxidants help to protect your cells from free radical damage and aging. Resveratrol deeply penetrates the center of your cell’s nucleus, giving your DNA time to repair free radical damage. It also supports cell functions in your heart and brain so that you can:

* Help prevent the rampant spread of cancer cells at any stage
* Keep your blood circulation going smoothly and prevent arterial damage
* Protect your brain from the development of Alzheimer’s disease
* Prevent neurological disorders such as strokes, ischemia, and Huntington’s disease

You can get some Resveratrol from your diet by eating grapes (muscadine grapes have the highest concentration of Resveratrol in nature because of their extra thick skins and numerous seeds where it is concentrated), cocoa, dark chocolate and peanuts, but it will likely be difficult to get a therapeutic dose, especially since these are all foods you should eat only in moderation. Resveratrol is found in abundance in red wine, and it’s highly soluble in alcohol, meaning your body may absorb more of it from red wine than from other sources. (Do take in consideration that alcohol is toxic for your system).

You can also take a Resveratrol supplement. Resveratrol in the “trans” form – the form the body can use – can be harvested in very high concentrations from other natural plant sources, providing the Resveratrol content of equivalent of 200 glasses of red wine in a concentrated supplement.