Resveratrol for Health Benefits

Introduction

Main Digest

Resveratrol has become one of the hottest topics in the news. Its also has become one of the most researched in medical science.

So what is Resveratrol

Resveratrol is a substance found in the skins of grapes and in certain other plants, fruits, and seeds. It is made by various plants to help defend against invading fungi, stress, injury, infection, and too much sunlight. It is being studied in the prevention of cancer and heart disease. It belongs to the families of drugs called antioxidants and polyphenols. It is usually consumed when drinking red wine and is most potent in the skin of the red grape.

What is the uproar about Resveratrol

Study Demonstrates Improved Health, Survival In Aged Overweight Male Mice on Resveratrol.

Overweight aged male mice whose high calorie (fat) diet was supplemented by resveratrol, had a higher health and survival than aged overweight mice who did not receive it, according to a study published online in the November, 2006, issue of Nature. The study was conducted and supported in part by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The study was a collaborative effort between the laboratories of Rafael de Cabo, Ph.D., at the NIA, David A. Sinclair, Ph.D., at Harvard Medical School and an international group of researchers.

The scientists reported that:

At 60 weeks of age, the survival curves of the high calorie and the high calorie/resveratrol groups began to diverge, when the resveratrol group began to show a 3-4 month advantage in survival. As the mice aged, the trend continued.

At 114 weeks, when the mice reached old age, more than half of the high calorie mice died compared to less than a third of the high calorie mice receiving resveratrol. The overweight resveratrol-treated aged mice were healthier than the overweight mice that were not given resveratrol on a number of measures. For example, the untreated high calorie mice had increased plasma levels of insulin, glucose and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) 1, markers that in humans predict the onset of diabetes, when compared with their overweight counterparts who did receive resveratrol.

Some of the health-related findings were most evident in the liver of the high calorie mice. At 18 months of age (six months into the study), the livers of the high calorie, untreated mice were twice the size and weight of those of the high calorie/resveratrol animals, whose livers were comparable to the mice on standard diets. The livers of the high calorie, resveratrol-treated mice were more normal on a cellular level as well. They had considerably more mitochondria (cell structures that metabolize glucose and other sugars) than those of the untreated high calorie group and resembled the levels of mice on the standard diet.

Gene expression analysis in livers of these aged and overweight mice indicated that resveratrol modified some of the known metabolic pathways that are also affected by caloric restriction. Pathways are a series of chemical reactions that take place in living tissue.

Tests on a rotating device to measure balance and motor coordination showed that the resveratrol-fed overweight mice maintained their performance on one laboratory measure of motor skills.

"After six months, resveratrol essentially prevented most of the negative effects of the high calorie diet," de Cabo concludes. "There is a lot of work ahead that will help us better understand resveratrol's roles and the best applications for it."

Research on the antioxidants found in red wine has shown that they may help inhibit the development of certain cancers. Resveratrol has been shown to reduce tumor incidence in animals by affecting one or more stages of cancer development. It has been shown to inhibit growth of many types of cancer cells in culture Recent evidence from animal studies suggests this anti-inflammatory compound may be an effective chemopreventive agent in three stages of the cancer process: initiation, promotion and progression.

These studies seems to indicate that resveratrol is good for health. You be the judge. So here's to your health with resveratrol. Resveratrol can be found in Genesis. Genesis is a delicious drink combining resveratrol, pomegranate and other healthy ingredients.

Related Publications▶ Share This Page

Page Information, Citing and Disclaimer

Disabled World is a comprehensive online resource that provides information and news related to disabilities, assistive technologies, and accessibility issues. Founded in 2004 our website covers a wide range of topics, including disability rights, healthcare, education, employment, and independent living, with the goal of supporting the disability community and their families.

Cite This Page (APA): Ethel Robinson. (2008, November 20 - Last revised: 2011, March 24). Resveratrol for Health Benefits. Disabled World. Retrieved September 7, 2024 from www.disabled-world.com/medical/supplements/antioxidants/resveratrol.php

Permalink: <a href="https://www.disabled-world.com/medical/supplements/antioxidants/resveratrol.php">Resveratrol for Health Benefits</a>: Resveratrol is a substance found in the skins of grapes and in certain other plants fruits and seeds.

Disabled World provides general information only. Materials presented are never meant to substitute for qualified medical care. Any 3rd party offering or advertising does not constitute an endorsement.