The research on the substance “Resveratrol” is exciting indeed. Now it has gotten the attention of the show 60 Minutes. It has been shown to optimize the aging process, extend healthy life, and be preventive for a variety of serious chronic degenerative diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and alzheimers. Further, it is shown to enhance exercise performance, support healthy metabolism and support weight balancing. The research has all been done on the naturally occurring substance found in abundance in the skin of the French red wine grape.
This may explain the French Paradox.
But before you try to drink your way to the promises of Resveratrol, realize that the number of bottles of French red wine per day needed to concentrate enough Resveratrol in order to achieve the promise of the research is far too great to consume – even for the greatest of wine enthusiasts. No one should drink 50 plus bottles of wine per day, no one!
A substance that occurs in nature can not be patented, so the drug company Glaxo Smith Kline is working on a synthetic version of Resveratrol, because the real thing is so exciting and the exclusive rights to the real thing can not be owned and controlled. Researchers expect that a drug company will develop and sell a drug that contains the synthetic version of Resveratrol and make it available to the public, within our life time.
What is even better is that the real thing is available now as a naturally occurring substance and in the form of a nutritional supplement so the cost is low and no prescription is necessary.
The challenge lies within the quality, form and dosage of Resveratrol. The research and therefore “the promise of Resveratrol” is dependent upon the quality of what is ingested. Unfortunately many forms of Resveratrol sold on the market are only not up to great standards. Clinically they do not work and they gain bad press. Care must be taken to obtain the correct form (trans-resveratrol) in a meaningful higher dose or it simply does not deliver.
Please contact me if you are interested in learning more about superior forms of Reservatrol.
To watch the 60 Minutes clip, simply click here.
Did you know ...
Fountain Of Youth In A Wine Rx? (60 Minutes – CBS)
Seventeen years ago, 60 Minutes first examined the so-called French paradox, which suggested that the French - despite a high fat diet and high consumption of wine - had a remarkably low incidence of heart disease, compared with Americans. Most researchers agreed that there was something in the wine that offered protection, and a few years later, even the highly cautious federal dietary guidelines say that moderate consumption of red wine can be beneficial. Now, scientists across the country have identified a substance in red wine called resveratrol that they believe might do more than just protect the heart, but could - in very high concentrations - significantly extend life by preventing a number of age related illnesses. If they're right, we all may soon be taking a pill that could give us an extra decade or two of healthy old age.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/01/25/
60minutes/main4752082.shtmlFour More Reasons To Drink Red Wine (Time)
It's common knowledge that a glass or two of red wine a night will do more than enhance a great meal or put you to sleep: it can reduce production of "bad" cholesterol, boost "good" cholesterol and reduce blood clotting, all of which will help reduce the risk of heart disease. But recent studies are showing that wine aficionados may also reap even more benefits, from inhibiting tumor development to helping form nerve cells. Here's a roundup of four recent studies that might encourage you to uncork that bottle of merlot: It Can Help Keep You Fit, It May Help Fight Alzheimer's, It Boosts Heart-Healthy Omega 3 Levels, It May Lower Lung Cancer Risk.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/181242More information is below if want to understand more of the history and background of wine and health benefits of resveratrol.
What is resveratrol:
Resveratrol (trans-3,5,4'-trihydroxystilbene), belongs to a class of polyphenolic compounds called stilbenes , found largely in the skins of red grapes and root of Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb. et Zucc ( Japanese knotweed), is a component of Ko-jo-kon, an oriental medicine used to treat diseases of the blood vessels, heart and live.
Sources
While present in other plants, such as eucalyptus, spruce, and lily, and in other foods such as mulberries and peanuts, resveratrol's most abundant natural sources are specific grape varieties, ie Vitis vinifera, labrusca, and muscadine grapes, Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb.
Cardiovascular Effects
Many studies suggest that consuming alcohol (especially red wine) may reduce the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD). Several studies have demonstrated that resveratrol is an effective antioxidant. It inhibits lipid peroxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (fat turning into plaque), prevents fat from being toxic to cells. It is thought that because it contains highly hydrophilic (molecules that attatch to water) and lipophilic (molecules that attatch to fat) properties, it can provide more effective protection than other well-known antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E. Reduced platelet aggregation has also been demonstrated in studies on resveratrol, further contributing to its prevention of atherosclerosis.
Cancer-Related Effects
Resveratrol is being studied to see how it affects the initiation, promotion, and progression of cancer. With regard to tumor initiation, it has been shown to act as an antioxidant by inhibiting free radical formation, and as an anti-mutagen in rat models. Resveratrol appears to decrease tumor promotion activity by inhibiting cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1), an enzyme that converts arachidonic acid to pro-inflammatory substances that stimulate tumor-cell growth .
Direct Antioxidant Activity
In the test tube, resveratrol effectively scavenges (neutralizes) free radicals and other oxidants and inhibits low density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation .
Inhibition of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation
The proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells plays an important role in the progression of atherosclerosis . Resveratrol has been found to inhibit the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells in culture .
Inhibition of Platelet Aggregation
Platelet aggregation is one of the first steps in the formation of a blood clot that can occlude a coronary or cerebral artery, resulting in myocardial infarction or stroke. Resveratrol has been found to inhibit platelet aggregation in vitro.
Safety & Adverse Effects
Resveratrol is not known to be toxic or cause adverse effects in humans, but there have been few controlled clinical trials.
Pregnancy and Lactation
The safety of resveratrol-containing supplements during pregnancy and lactation has not been established. Since no safe level of alcohol consumption has been established at any stage of pregnancy, pregnant women should avoid consuming wine as a source of resveratrol.
Estrogen-sensitive Cancers
Until more is known about the estrogenic activity of resveratrol in humans, women with a history of estrogen-sensitive cancers, such as breast, ovarian and uterine cancers, should avoid resveratrol supplements (see Estrogenic and Anti-estrogenic Activities above).
Drug Interactions Anticoagulant and Antiplatelet Drugs
Resveratrol has been found to inhibit human platelet aggregation in vitro (42, 84). Theoretically, high intakes of resveratrol (e.g., from supplements) could increase the risk of bleeding when taken with anticoagulant drugs, such as warfarin (Coumadin), and antiplatelet drugs, such as clopidogrel (Plavix), dipyridamole (Persantine), non-steroidal anti-inflamatory drugs (NSAIDs), aspirin and others.
More Information on Grape Skin
WHAT YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT GRAPES
Botanical: Vitis vinifera
Family: Vitaceae (grape)
Other common names: Red Wine Grape, European Grape
Grape Skin supplement is an easy way to enjoy the many health benefits provided by nutritious grapes. Packed with vitamins and minerals, Grape Skin's proanthocynidins are the phytonutrients that are thought to provide a high degree of antioxidant capacity that fights free radical damage in the body. The resveratrol in Grape Skin is said to help fight carcinogens, lower cholesterol, combat cardiovascular disease and diminish damage caused by stroke.
History:
Grapes appear to have originated in the Mediterannean regions of southern Europe and Middle East, thriving in deep, moist, humus-rich, neutral-to-alkaline soil in sun and warm climates; and the grape's hardiness varies according to the cultivar.
Going back thousands of years, the Grape was a wild vine. If untended, it grows like a tree and wraps around anything in its way, like ivy on walls, and different sub-species were created through natural selection, resulting in mutations of the vine.
Cultivation of the Grape occurred in pre-historic or early historic times in southwest Asia or southern Transcaucasia (Armenia and Georgia), and cultivation of the domesticated grape, Vitis vinifera, spread to other parts of the Old World over the years. Wine is the fermented juice of Grapes, and it has been used in various cultures for at least 4,500 years, originating most likely in the Middle East. Egyptian records, dating from 2500 B.C., refer to wines, and there are frequent references to wine in the Old Testament. Wine was also used by early Minoan, Greek and Etruscan civilizations, and we can thank the Roman army for introducing the rootstocks and winemaking throughout Europe as they created an expanding Roman Empire. Centuries later, the role of wine for sacramental use in Christian churches helped to maintain the industry after the fall of the Roman Empire.
Modern science has now confirmed the health benefits included in the juice, skin and seeds of the Red Grape, and Grape Skin and Red Wine extracts possess high concentrations of proanthocyanidins that confer high antioxidant and free radical benefits, as well as phenolic and polyphenolic compounds (including catechin, quercetin, resveratrol, et al) that combat platelet aggregation (clotting) in the blood. It is interesting to remember the "French Paradox." French diets include more than thirty percent more fat than the diets of Americans, but the French people suffer forty percent fewer heart attacks, and this is said to be due to their consumption of Red Wine. Researchers in France have compiled a guide, or textbook, that outlines the various treatments derived from Grape Seeds, Grape Skins, Red Wine and their respective benefits. The new trend has been dubbed "Vinotherapy," and spas throughout the world are beginning to explore the benefits of Red Wine Grapes as detoxifiers, strong antioxidants and cell regenerators. Grape Skin supplements provide a convenient way to enjoy this simple fruit's many healthy benefits.
Beneficial Uses:
Grape Skin contains high concentrations of the substance, trans-resveratrol, and health industry researchers have found that this substance may be the key to its source as an antioxidant that may help in the prevention of serious infection. According to Northwestern University, the significant amounts of resveratrol naturally present in Grape Skin has demonstrated potentially beneficial properties, including antioxidant, anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogen effects.
Recent research shows that trans-resveratrol may interfere with the development of disease by blocking the actions of carcinogens, inhibiting the initiation and proliferation of diseased cells and causing pre-cancerous cells to revert to normal. Grape Skin contains proanthocyanidins, the phytonutrients that provide a high degree of antioxidant capacity that fights free radical damage in the body.
These compounds allow the body's cells to absorb vitamin C, which are thought to be helpful in protecting cells from the free radicals that can bind to and destroy cellular compounds.
These qualities may be helpful in building the immune system and fighting serious malignant disease and other infections.
With regard to good coronary health, Grape Skin may be very helpful in reducing platelet aggregation (clotting) in the blood, thereby reducing the risk of arteriosclerosis, stroke and heart attacks. Researchers at Northwestern University Medical School have found that a chemical in red wine is a form of estrogen called resveratrol (highly concentrated in the skin of grapes), and it may reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease. ( Resveratrol has a molecular structure similar to that of diethylstilbestrol, a synthetic estrogen.) The resveratrol in Grape Skin is said to raise the levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs or "good" cholesterol) in the blood, while decreasing the low-density lipoproteins (LDLs, or "bad" cholesterol) and thereby possibly helping to prevent heart attacks and strokes.
It is also said to prevent fat in the bloodstream from sticking together and clogging the arteries, which is thought to promote better circulation of blood throughout the body, especially to the heart.
Grape Skin may help to minimize brain damage from strokes.
Research has discovered that resveratrol can absorb free radicals, stopping them from doing any more damage to the brain.
The phytonutrients that contribute to the grape vine's resistance to viruses are thought to protect against some viral infections in humans as well.
So the next time you toast your friends, your self, and that special, special person you love with a glass of red wine, think of all the wonderful benefits you are getting. Drink moderately. To get
medicinal amounts of resveratrol, learn about quality and the dose and potency that will be right
for your body. Resveratrol is fast becoming the most exciting neutrcidal that can have
powerful healing effects in many systems of the body.
ENJOY !!
