What Are the Health Benefits of Resveratrol?

Resveratrol is an natural antioxidant emerging as the modern-day
fountain of youth, and is found in certain foodsResveratrol can be
found in the skin of red grapes. Plants naturally produce Resveratrol
when they are under attack by pathogens such as bacteria or fungi.
Muscadine grapes contain the highest concentration of Resveratrol,
because of their thick skins and numerous seeds where it is
concentrated.Takaoka was the first to isolate Resveratrol from the
white hellebore roots in 1940. Later in 1963, he extracted the
chemical from the Japanese knotweed roots. However, it had still not
gained enough attention until in 1992, when scientists began to
suggest that the presence of Resveratrol in wine was the reason for
its cardio protective effects.It has been associated with grapes and
wine and because it was believed to be the reason behind the "French
Paradox" - the tendency for French people to have great cardiovascular
health despite a poor diet and a love of wine. Several studies support
the theory that wine consumption cuts death rates by up to 40 per cent
a year.What sets Resveratrol apart from other antioxidants, is the
ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. In doing this it can help
protect your brain and nervous system, as well as protect your cells
from free radical damage.Free radical damage is a major cause of
Alzheimer's. Free radicals and oxidised fats which kill brain cells
result in the decline of mental function commonly associated with
Alzheimer's.Increasing your intake of Resveratrol may also be an
effective way to lower inflammation in your body. A combination of
free radicals and inflammation can be factors in causing a stroke,
making Resveratrol an ideal solution. It has even been found to
increase the lifespan of human cells.Resveratrol has been to shown to
fight many forms cancer in cell cultures and rodents. Its ability to
turn genes on and off at the core, and manipulate cell growth is the
key to its potential to fight cancer. Animals given Resveratrol were
shown to have significantly reduced brain plaque, which contributes to
Alzheimer's and other related diseases.Another test on rodents showed
mice who were regularly dosed with Resveratrol, suffered less brain
and motor damage after a stroke, than those who were not treated.
Overweight mice ran further and lived 20 per cent longer when on
Resveratrol.No evidence of any side effects of taking Resveratrol have
been documented, with the exception of the injection of huge doses of
the drug into pubescent mice, in which case it seemed to promote the
growth of tumours. The lack of documentation in terms of side effects
should not be taken to indicate that it is completely safe, but
limited testing and the relative newness of the drug mean that long
term effects have yet to be observed.Those wishing to increase the
levels of Resveratrol can either drink more red wine, or take
manufactured supplements which contain a higher dosage of
Resveratrol.