The health benefits of Resveratrol – can it really help you?

Back in 2006 the substance resveratrol made the headlines when scientists demonstrated that it could successfully be used as a means of keeping overfed mince from gaining further weight. What this substance actually did to these mince is turned them fit and health as well as slowed down their aging process. Since this hit the headlines back in 2006 scientists have been looking into ways that this could be reflected in human use and have found that it could actually be used to help prevent the negative effects of high-calorie diets in humans. So what exactly is resveratrol and can it really benefit us?

Resveratrol is a chemical compound that has been discovered in certain plants. It is known as a phytoalexin due to the fact that plants actually produce this substance as an antibiotic. The reason that plants produce this substance is as a way of fighting bacteria and fungi that threaten the life of the plant. Some of the main plants that produce it are grapes and skins of grapes that produce wine, raspberries, mulberries, blueberries and cranberries. However resveratrol is a substance that can also be found within peanuts and certain pine trees as well as a Japanese plant known as knotweed. One of the most publicized places that resveratrol has been discovered however is red wine thanks to the fact this substance is found within grapes. So what exactly does all of this mean to you?

Due to the results that were seen when the substance was given to mince, scientists have been looking deeper into what it could do for humans. Some of the research that has been conducted has revealed that the substance has great anti-ageing effects within certain organisms; it has extended the lifespan of yeast by 60%, worms and flies by 30%, and fish by about 60%. If it can produce these results for other organisms it has been noted that resveratrol could have amazing results within humans when it comes to anti-ageing. It has the potential to slow down the aging process which means wrinkles could be kept at bay and skin could generally have a healthier glow. It also means that the way your body functions could take longer to age as well, which in effect could keep disease and illness at bay, which is in fact one of the suggested health benefits that people have associated with this substance.

Preliminary studies surrounding the substance have demonstrated that resveratrol could potentially be an excellent antioxidant. So what would this mean to your health? Well for starters there is reason to believe that this could extend your exercise tolerance and to some extent help to reduce any memory loss that you may suffer from. On top of this however some of the research may hold evidence that the substance could help the ability to fight viruses such as HIV, remember however this is only still in the trial status and nothing has been proven for sure but it is unlikely that resveratrol will be able to completely cure such viruses.

As I have previously mentioned, studies surrounding this substance are still being conducted so nothing about the results have been set in stone yet, however studies have concluded that there are strong indications that resveratrol has certain health benefits including anti-inflammatory, anti-aging and anti-cancer characteristics. Benefits such as these can help to prevent damage to your body as well as provide protective support to the blood vessels caused particularly by elevated levels of blood glucose.

This substance is starting to sound almost too good to be true and we can only hope that with more studies all of these qualities work in our favor. For the time being however it may be a bit premature for us to start thinking this will stop all of our problems. The substance requires a lot more study first, especially within the theory of anti-cancer characteristics. The reason that I say this revolves around the fact there is some evidence that suggests resveratrol might act like an estrogen in the body and actually contribute to more cases of breast cancer.

It is always important to look at both the potential positive and negative aspects of anything that claims to help you. One more positive point that is floating around about resveratrol is how it can help to prevent the negative effects of high-calorie diets in humans. Although this won’t help you loss weight it will help you control your weight for the fact it helps you control the effects of calories on your body. It is suggested that it can help keep you in better health.

The next step with resveratrol is to investigate further into the effects of the chemical within humans. This is important so we are able to determine the safety of high doses of the substance and look further into any side effects that may be associated with it. Until then we should just continue with red wine consumption but only in moderation of course as a means of gaining some form of resveratrol intake, even if it is only 0.3% of the amount that was given to the mice.

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