Resveratrol Discovery For Great Health Benefits

Resveratrol has many health benefits. It is a powerful antioxidant that can work wonders on our bodies. Find out how it may help you..

Resveratrol was first discovered in the White Hellebore plant way back about 70 years ago in the 1930’s/40’s era. Since its discovery, it has been found in numerous plants such as Japanese Knotweed, where most of today’s commercial supplies come from, peanuts, blueberries, bilberries, cocoa beans and grapes and wine, from where it first became well known.

Its purpose in plants is to prevent the plants from being damaged and even killed by various fungal and bacterial infections. Scientists have since found that it not only can protect plants but resveratrol has health benefits for us mere mortals too.

Some of the more common ways that it can help us are as follows :-

• It is a totally natural product so it can be absorbed quickly.
• It can protect and repair cell damage so increase life span.
• It encourages our immune system.
• It can regulate our blood sugar levels
• It can regulate blood pressure
• It can reduce cholesterol.
• It is a strong antioxidant that fights free radicals
• It mimics calorie restriction that causes weight loss
• It has very few side effects

More Health Benefits of Resveratrol

Research was carried out in 2003 that took the health and science communities world by storm. David Sinclair from the Harvard laboratory conducted experiments that appeared in “Nature” Journal. Since then, his tests have been replicated many times and new research has been carried out that have uncovered the tremendous potential health benefits of resveratrol.

These studies showed that resveratrol has the capacity to act as an anti aging compound. It replicates calorie restriction that has the effect of turning on longevity genes (sirtuins) in our cells that can prolong life.

These sirtuins are also responsible for weight loss.  When calorie restriction occurs, sirtuins react by breaking down stored fat in our cells which assists in weight loss. The actual act of breaking down the stored fat increases our levels of energy and as a result, further weight is lost, so resveratrol has a two pronged attack on weight.

Resveratrol has a positive effect on reducing heart disease. It started with an enigma called the French Paradox. The French were consuming high amounts of saturated fat and also smoked a lot of tobacco, two of the biggest causes of heart disease, but they had a lower incidence of it than most other first world nations. A paradox.

It was found to be the resveratrol in red wine that the French drank in regular abundance that was protecting their hearts. It keeps the arteries wide and supple and prevents blood clots and thrombosis that can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

The only safe way to take resveratrol, is in supplemental form. It simply is not feasible to drink 20 or 30 bottles of wine for the same effect that a capsule will provide. It would cause more problems than it would cure, and they are well documented.

The other reason to take resveratrol in supplemental form is that it is easily absorbed and utilised by the body.

Article Tags: Health Benefits, Calorie Restriction

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