Resveratrol’s anti-aging benefits may not be widely known, but research shows that its a highly promising anti-aging therapy. And since it’s naturally present in red wine, it’s definitely a pleasure to implement.
Resveratrol is a natural antibiotic compound produced by plants as a defense against disease. It is found in many plants, but it’s particularly abundant in the skins of grape species used to make wine. In recent years science has been investigating the effects of wine components on health, and the results indicate resveratrol is a powerful dietary agent with the potential for huge positive impact on health.
A Potent Antioxidant That Promotes Heart Health Resveratrol has been found to be a potent antioxidant, which makes it a primary tool in anti-aging. Antioxidants are substances that can neutralize the damaging effects of free radicals, unstable molecules created during the process of cellular oxidation. Free radical damage is believed to be at the heart of most age-related diseases and disorders.
Studies suggest that resveratrol’s antioxidant capability could be particularly important to heart health. Like vitamin E and COQ10, resveratol is efficient at blocking artery-damaging free radicals, along with several other types of radicals.
Used in combination with other supplements, resveratrol has proven effective in the treatment of arteriosclerosis, a hardening and thickening of the arteries due at least in part to free radical damage.
Some researchers have suggested that the presence of resveratrol in wine is a possible explanation for “the French Paradox”, referring to the fact that though the typical French diet is high in fat, the French have a low rate of heart disease. It is believed that because the French tend to drink more red wine, their revestrol levels are higher and they are being protected to some extent from the arterial damage common to high fat diets.
Potential for Relief of Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries The body’s natural response to trauma to the brain or spinal cord is inflammation, and in many cases that inflammation creates even further damage. Chinese researchers found that administering resveratrol immediately after injury was an effective means of controlling inflammation.
A Promising Cancer Preventive and Treatment? In the mid-1990s ground-breaking research found that resveratrol was effective at preventing the development of skin cancer in rodents who had been administered carcinogens. Numerous animal studies followed, reporting outcomes that make resveratrol one of the most exciting possibilities for cancer prevention and treatment.
Austrian animal studies indicate that revestrol can stop certain forms of cancer from spreading, and other research confirmed that topical application of the compound prevented the growth of tumors in the areas where it was applied. Oral administration of resveratrol tested effective against tumors of the stomach and intestinal tract.
Though to date all research on revestrol has been cellular or animal studies, some important clinical research projects are underway.
Possible Alzheimer’s Treatment One of the most exciting medical anti-aging possibilities for revestrol is as a treatment or preventive for Alzheimer’s, a devastating progressive neurodegenerative disease that has been closely tied to free radical damage.
In 2008 a Cornell University animal study reported that resveratrol supplements significantly reduced the formation of plaque in the brain, which is both a primary component of Alzheimer’s and believed to be closely associated with normal aging changed in the brain as well.
Has Science Discovered A Fountain of Youth? Since 2003 a number of studies have proven that resveratrol can extend the lifespan of various life forms, including yeast, fruit flies, worms, and certain fish. It is believed that resveratrol extends life span by activating sirtuin, a -longevity gene-. Though resveratrol for life extension has not yet been tested on humans, the prospects are exciting because it has been proven that there is a human version of the longevity gene.
Red wine isn’t the only anti-aging beverage. Think that morning orange juice is just a tasty way to wash down your cornflakes? Think again. When it comes to anti-aging, vitamin C is a powerhouse.Find out more at Anti-Aging Therapies.