November 2008 Ageless herbal newsletter

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	on this page Resveratrol - magic in the skin of a grape Other interesting points on resveratrol Previous newsletters

Resveratrol - magic in the skin of a grape

In 1976, Drs. Langcake and Pryce reported the presence of resveratrol and its derivatives in grapevine tissues. It was discovered at that time that plants produced resveratrol when they were under attack by fungi, bacteria, or viruses.

This led to the conclusion that resveratrol was a natural protectant to plants under times of stress, and also led to the beginning of studies to examine whether resveratrol could be beneficial to humans.

Resveratrol is required for

Although resveratrol is not an essential nutrient - that being that life can be sustained without it, it is however interesting to note that resveratrol can have a host of beneficial effects on the body, and the surface is only now been scratched with what resveratrol could offer us in health benefits.

Deficiency of resveratrol

There are no clinical signs of deficiency, as it is not an essential nutrient.

Dosage

No RDA has been established for this compound.

For it to have a therapeutic effect, a 99.9% pure resveratrol supplement should be taken at 100 mg per day.

Although there are literally thousands of companies that sell a 10% purity resveratrol - and then at a dosage of 10 - 20 mg - the quantity is too small to make any significant contribution to the body's health.

For this reason, we will be using 100 mg of 99.9% pure resveratrol in our sister company’s “Dermaxime Anti-Aging capsules”, and although it greatly impacts on the cost, it does help to create a supplement that actually works.

Toxicity and symptoms of high intake

To date, no side effects, toxic symptoms, or drug interactions have been reported in connection with drinking resveratrol. We do however recommend that people under 18 years of age do not take resveratrol supplements.

When more resveratrol may be required

In our modern day life, we all seem to be able to benefit from this nutrient - especially if you are subjected to a lot of stress, or environmental stressors and pollutants. People with certain medical conditions - be that elevated or raised blood cholesterol levels or even more serious problems like breast and prostate cancer could benefit from adding this to their diet.

It is also a great way to keep aging at bay, as it helps in various manners to create a far healthier body - working at cellular level, where it all begins.

Other interesting points on resveratrol

The chemical structure of resveratrol is important because from its structure chemists can determine some properties related to its benefit. The hexagons in the structure of the molecules are called aromatic rings, and the OH groups are called hydroxyl groups. When aromatic rings and hydroxyl groups are together the chemical is called a phenol. Since there is more than one of these phenols present, the compounds are called polyphenols.

Polyphenols are often associated with compounds that are antioxidants. This is because they can react with free radicals to form a more stable molecule; one that is less toxic than the original radical.

In vitro and in vivo animal and human studies have shown that resveratrol possesses many biological attributes. These factors favor cardiovascular protection, neuroprotection, antioxidative and immunomodulatory activities, modulation of hepatic lipid synthesis, inhibition of platelet aggregation, vaso-relaxing effects, and inhibition of pro-atherogenic eicosanoids by human platelets and neutrophils.

Since resveratrol is a component of red wine, it has been postulated that resveratrol may be responsible for many of the health benefits attributed to red wine consumption.

Resveratrol has been shown to act as an anti-mutagen by inhibiting the cellular events associated with tumor initiation, promotion, and progression. It also acts as a phytoestrogen and can serve as a natural replacement for estrogen during menopause.

It has also been shown in studies to decrease tumor growth in vivo. A recent study indicates that resveratrol directly stimulates cell proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts, reduces the risk of osteoporosis, and increases bone formation.

Other beneficial effects include increases in collagen synthesis and amelioration of depression.

Plant antibiotics such as resveratrol are known as phytoalexins. These compounds are the members of the plant kingdom classified as spermatophytes.

Food sources of resveratrol

Although grape skins are the most well known source of resveratrol, it can also be found in peanuts as well as other botanical material.

To read the entire article and clinical trials done on Resveratrol please see our page on the Zest for Life website.

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