by TC Luoma
The Benefits of Resveratrol
The list of this polyphenol’s benefits keeps growing. Here’s what it does, the foods that contain it, and the supplement dosage to take.
Polyphenols are plant metabolites that generally protect plants from ultraviolet radiation or attack by pathogens. Science has recognized them as chemicals that could radically alter human health.
Although the science behind them is still in its infancy, we’ve begun to isolate and understand the power of individual polyphenols. Among those that have attracted the most attention (and research) is resveratrol (Buy at Amazon), a polyphenol occurring in high concentrations in grapes, apples, blueberries, plums, and peanuts.
Athletes may know the compound for its ability to raise testosterone levels, lower estrogen, reduce fat storage, or how it makes young muscle cells grow longer and thicker, but a paper in Food Science & Nutrition describes a long list of resveratrol’s other abilities. Here’s a summary:
Resveratrol and Diabetes
Resveratrol lowers blood sugar in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics, increases glucose transport, improves insulin sensitivity, and protects pancreatic cells against inflammation.
Resveratrol and Cardiovascular Disease
Several studies show it to be anti-atherosclerotic, anti-hypertensive, anti-myocardial ischemia, anti-stroke, and anti-heart-failure in general. It does all these things by increasing the bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO), positively affecting lipid profiles, and being a powerful anti-inflammatory.
Resveratrol and Alzheimer’s
One of the contributors to Alzheimer’s is excessive production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), and resveratrol weakens the damage from ROS, in addition to having anti-amyloidogenic properties (i.e., helping prevent the plaques that are a hallmark of the disease).
Resveratrol and DNA Damage
Resveratrol protects against DNA damage that may lead to the development of cancers.
Other Stuff
Numerous papers show that resveratrol, in addition to treating the primary diseases that afflict man, also shows considerable promise in helping with other diseases like Parkinson’s, kidney and liver disease, cataracts, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy, in addition to having anti-pathogenic properties.
How Much to Take & Where to Get It
While absorption is often a problem with polyphenols, resveratrol has a relatively healthy absorption rate of about 70%. However, the compound’s bioavailability can still be low because of its rapid metabolism in the intestines and liver. That’s why taking it in supplement form is better – specifically, one that’s done something to increase bioavailability.
Rez-V (Buy at Amazon) contains active, pure, high-absorption trans-resveratrol, the type and amount required for an effective dose.
It appears that 200 to 300 mg. a day (one Rez-V softgel = 300 mg.) works for general health purposes, while doses of up to 600 mg. a day (two softgels) might be necessary to raise testosterone, lower estrogen, or increase muscle fiber size.
Reference
Reference
- Koushki M et al. Resveratrol: A miraculous natural compound for diseases treatment. Food Sci Nutr. 2018 Oct 26;6(8):2473-2490.
