Resveratrol Facts

What is Resveratrol?

If you have been hearing about Resveratrol and are curious to learn more, well then you have come to the right place. Following are some details on what Resveratrol is, where it comes from and what it does.

In the quest for a healthy lifestyle, many new aids frequently emerge onto the public market with the promise of assisting us in this area. But with the abundance of products and information being introduced to us on a regular basis, it is a little difficult to keep track of them all, and moreover, remember exactly which one does what. And then of course, there is the issue of does it work? Well one health-aid that is fairly new and that you will want to remember is Resveratrol.

Resveratrol is a natural compound found in the skin of red grapes and several other plants, such as the peanut and quite a few varieties of berries including raspberries and cranberries. You have most likely heard about how a glass of red wine each day can reduce the risk of heart disease, while the benefits of white wine are far less touted. Well the main reason red wine is more beneficial is because grape skins are packed with Resveratrol and red wine ferments with the skin of grapes still in tact, while white wine does not.

In Oriental medicine, Resveratrol is used as a component to treat diseases of the heart, liver and blood. And based on scientific research, Resveratrol is also widely recognized as an effective antioxidant, anti-cancer agent, as well as a form of phytoestrogen, which is a natural plant compound that acts just as estrogen does in the body. In studies, it exhibited the ability to inhibit some of the enzymes in our cells that stimulate tumor-growth, reducing the progression of cancer. It has further been acknowledged that Resveratrol hinders the formation of harmful free radicals (toxins from the environment, e.g., pollution, cigarette smoke, pesticides) that enter our bodies and can cause damage to our immune systems. Resveratrol has actually been recognized as more effective at protecting our cells than some of the more popular antioxidants like Vitamins C and E.

The bottom line is that laboratory tests have clearly demonstrated that Resveratrol may benefit in the prevention of cancer and heart disease. But because studies on Resveratrol, i.e., its beneficial qualities and effects on other organs such as the liver and stomach are still on-going, and only short-term effects have been presently acknowledged, taking supplemental Resveratrol pills is not highly recommended at this point in time. However, due to the fact that the main natural dietary source of Resveratrol is red wine, indulging in a glass or two occasionally with a handful of peanuts would be a more far more acceptable choice, as well as a little more enjoyable.