Resveratrol's Promises for Health

There has been a lot of attention given to resveratrol and its apparent health benefits in recent years and following widely publicized television coverage, a huge increase in demand for the product but lets take a look at what resveratrol really is and why there is such interest.
Resveratrol is made by some plants when they are threatened by infection from a fungus or bacteria. It is anti-microbial, helping to fight infection by acting as a defender against attacking bacterial or fungal cells. It has two forms, the cis type and the trans type, the trans type being the one which shows great promise as a health supplement.
Our natural resveratrol sources are varied, it is present in the skins of red wine grapes and the wine made from them, it can also be found in peanuts, blueberries and a variety of other foods. Its concentration in wine varies a lot with the grape variety and where it was grown. Many folk believe it is an explanation for the ‘French Paradox ’, the apparent ability of Mediterranean people to consume diets high in fat without suffering the ill effects.
In animal trials, resveratrol has shown several health benefits. In some well documented experiments mice given a high fat diet and resveratrol supplements had a much lower risk of death than those given the high fat diet without supplementation.
The mice in that experiment had fairly normal levels of blood sugars and insulin though their cholesterol levels were still elevated. Interestingly the life extending properties seen in mice appear to have been mainly in older mice rather than in mice given resveratrol supplements from an earlier age.
Life extending properties were also shown when an Italian team of scientists experimenting with fish found that resveratrol could extend their lifespan considerably. This was the first such demonstration in a vertebrate, previous experiments having been on fruit flies and worms.
Resveratrol shows great promise in the fight against some cancers. Experiments with mice and other animals show success with skin cancers while in-vitro experiments show resveratrol attacks other cancers like oesophageal and breast cancer.
A challenge for scientists will be in working out how to get the right dose of resveratrol actively fighting cancer effectively. This challenge arises because resveratrol needs to be preserved for long enough in the body to reach the bloodstream without being broken down. One promising looking delivery method is taking resveratrol in such way as allows it to be absorbed from the mouth directly into the bloodstream. Various ways of taking resveratrol are being considered from mouthwashes to lozenges and even gum.
Get more information on resveratrol benefits, check out this article on resveratrol supplements and if purchasing resveratrol be aware there are many products on the market not all of them equal. Get yours from a reputable supplier. A similar article is available at this Vox Resveratrol Info Blog