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Introduction
Welcome to the ultimate free source on the Internet for everything that has to do with resveratrol. This new medical phenomenon was first discovered in 2003, and since then --- especially 2008 and beyond --- the Internet has exploded with information on this breakthrough discovery. Some of it is true, some of it is false, and some of it is misleading. It is my goal to provide the world with the largest and most reliable source of the best information of resveratrol available. There are facts, fiction, and possibilities with this new rockstar substance resveratrol, and I will do my best to present it to you in a safe, useful way. I will never mislead you, I will never lie to you. I will try to educate you and provide you with the answers you seek. So having given this brief intro, it is time to begin.
What is Resveratrol?
Resveratrol is compound found in small quantities in certain foods. You have probably heard that it is found in wine, and you have probably been pitched 1 or potentially 10 different health benefits of resveratrol.
Your expectations are important for me as the author to know if I'm going to accurately answer your questions.
Resveratrol is medical history in the making. Forget what is proven for a second, and just go on the potential. Resveratrol is simply remarkable. It has far more potential than any other single substance that I've seen to date. So what about all that stuff like preventing cancer, giving you energy, making you lose weight, fighting diseases, treating Alzheimer's, improving mental clarity, or treating diabetes? Does it do all of that? Yes it has potential to do all of that (VERY BIG POTENTIAL), but because it is so new, the proof-documented research is not yet available. However, nearly all of those potential health benefits have been proven or have been strongly supported in other living beings, most notably mice, which is the typical forerunner to human testing.
A more scientific definition of resveratrol
Resveratrol is a naturally occurring compound that is showing some very promising health benefits in living organisms. Resveratrol is the most commonly known for being found in grapes that are used to make wine. In fact, resveratrol deserves most of the credit for the explanation behind why red wine is so beneficial. To the average person, resveratrol can be a trusted supplement such as drinking green tea, taking a multivitamin, or maybe taking vitamin C pills. Truthfully, resveratrol has been tested, and the findings do suggest more likely than not, that the common expectations about the health benefits of resveratrol may reasonably be met. To the skeptic, resveratrol is the latest buzz word. The skeptic is just that, skeptical. A skeptic only decides to join the group after the material has been thoroughly tested over a long period of time and is proven beyond any reasonable doubt through endless testing and social acceptance. Resveratrol is new, exciting, cutting edge, and full of potential --- but it is not yet fully proven or undeniably affirmed through science or the FDA. To the average "normal" health minded person, resveratrol is something that cannot simply be ignored. The existing scientific findings and clear help potential for resveratrol make it an important new drug option.
Why is resveratrol gaining so much popularity and more widespread use?
In the past 10 years, resveratrol is showing more potential for health benefits than any other new substance recently discovered. Here is a brief summary of the major studies and findings since 2003 concerning resveratrol. For a more detailed approach, just surf around this website and read the various topics on resveratrol. This entire website has more information on both the proven and potential benefits of resveratrol than any other website published to date.
It all started with increasing life span of simple organisms.
In 2003 David Sinclair, a Harvard Medical School pathologist made the first amazing discovery concerning resveratrol. He published in the medical journal Nature that resveratrol "significantly extends the lifespan of yeast." Now extending the lifespan of yeast in and of itself is no big deal, however, Sinclair later went on to publish sequential studies of using resveratrol to increase the lifetime span of worms and fruit fries. This was only the beginning. His later tests showed more energy and lower mortality rates in fish, and better weight management abilities in mice. Now keep in mind that it all started on the antiaging phenomena associated with resveratrol. These tests that were first published in 2003 were at the very front of the line of medical research and clinical studies of resveratrol. That's not to say that there weren't any studies or observations completed on resveratrol before Dr. Sinclair and his 2003 research showed, this is just one research and interest really started to take off.
There is supporting evidence that the health benefits of resveratrol go further and cast a more broadstream health effect than anything we have seen to date. The National Cancer Institute is currently conducting (starting in 2009) multiple clinical trials in humans on the topic of resveratrol in cancer prevention and cancer treatment including but not limited to treating tumors, restricting cancer-causing free agents from developing within the body, and boosting the body's immunity to various carcinogens. The various cancers that are currently being studied include breast cancer, intestinal cancer, skin cancer, lung cancer, and more, but those are the major ones. Read all about resveratrol in cancer prevention and treatment in the sub topic categories in this website.
Weight loss, weight management, increase energy, fat blockers, calorie restriction, and more.
The potential effects on weight loss and weight management with resveratrol are incredible. In this field of things, the first excitement came from clinical research conducted on field mice (lab mice). Here's what happened. There were two groups of mice. One group of mice was fed massive amounts of food and did not receive any resveratrol. The other group of mice was also fed massive amounts of food, but this group was supplemented with high amounts of resveratrol. Guess what happened? The group of mice that consumed enormous quantities of food and ingested resveratrol as a supplement held a perfectly normal, healthy mice life. It was thin, energetic, and perfectly healthy, very similar to that of any normal mouse. The group of mice that did not have resveratrol added to their extremely obese diet gained all of that weight in calories that you might have expected. The results were clear (at least in mice), resveratrol helps with weight loss.
There is also exciting evidence that resveratrol helps with energy and antiaging. Going back to Dr. Sinclair, the man credited with discovering resveratrol, believes that the most exciting findings about resveratrol have to do with antiaging. Resveratrol is supposed to stimulate something within the body that helps cells regenerate faster, which is the backbone of antiaging. There is also remarkable findings from another study (a small one) that shows compelling evidence that resveratrol helps build endurance because the resveratrol is once again stimulating enzymes and proteins within the body that help with energy, endurance, and metabolism. Now there are other supplements that have also shown promise in increasing energy through the same means, but resveratrol is particularly effective at energy stimulation.
Potential risks and who should not take resveratrol
Before we go any further, I want to take a moment for the sake of safety and precaution. Resveratrol is relatively new to both the market and the scientific world, althrough more and more people are using it and reporting benefits. There is no insurmountable evidence that resveratrol is dangerous or has risks when it comes to normal use for normal people. There have been indications that resveratrol could have detrimental effects to both people under the age of 18 as well as pregnant or nursing women and their infants. While this has not been proven in humans, there has been some evidence of high dosages of resveratrol damaging the health of young adolescent mice.
Common sense applies
Basically when it comes to resveratrol risks, the same rules of thumb apply to it as any other new drug or medicine. It shouldn't be used on children, and it shouldn't be used on anybody who is pregnant or nursing. James Betz is a well-known, respected supplier of dietary supplements, and and also one of the leading wholesale suppliers of resveratrol. In a quote from the Los Angeles Times James states, "I feel there is virtually no evidence --- and resveratrol has been around for quite a while --- of harm." Like any new drug to market, there is always the potential for unwanted side effects or consequences, but scientists know when the potential for good far outweighs the potential for bad. Director Betz goes on to say "I feel the data we have now, which concludes that [resveratrol] has benefits in terms of so many diseases that it will do more harm than good not making it available." To further the evidence that resveratrol is safe, I will like to introduce to you Rafael de Cabo. He is a PhD scientist and investigator for the National Institute on Aging. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) is a branch of the US National Institutes of Health, and it is the leading federal agency for Alzheimer's research. Rafael de Cabo of the NIA has published most of the governments research articles on resveratrol. He personally expresses skepticism when it comes to resveratrol, but he acknowledges that "I know many intelligent people who are taking." Rafael de Cabo's friends are some of the most intelligent and elite in the scientific community, it is worth noting.
The funding is convincing
One final thing that I would like to point out is the money behind the pill resveratrol. Dr. David Sinclair the famous respected scientist behind this new wonder drug, sold his resveratrol research company for $720 million in 2008 to a giant pharmaceutical company. Nearly $1 billion of research on such a potentially life benefiting supplement, is no matter worth ignoring. Still a skeptic? Well you always eat the foods that contain resveratrol. These are grapes, peanuts, little berries, cranberries, and red wine, as the most common and containing the highest amounts. Just be careful with those food allergies, especially the peanuts.
Resveratrol dosage
The right dosage of resveratrol is a subject that is open to debate. First, let's take a look at the facts and what the experts are agreeing on. Experts believe that it is not conceivable or practical for a person to get the full benefits are just eating foods that contain resveratrol as you can from taking resveratrol supplements. Take wine for example. Even though the resveratrol content in wine is higher than that of any other food substance, one study came to the conclusion that you would have to drink 35 bottles of red wine a day to get the benefits of taking the best quality resveratrol pills. What do I mean by best quality resveratrol pills? Honestly this tested ideal perfect resveratrol pill has not yet been proven to exist. There are many excellent resveratrol supplements on the market, and each of them very in the recommended doses, but there is no perfect resveratrol pill. One of the big problems behind this is that resveratrol intake is limited through ingestion. In order for resveratrol to absorb into the blood stream and be used by the body has to get past all of the harsh acids in digestive enzymes within the body's digestive system. Scientists are working on synthetic resveratrol that can be taken in low dosages and have all of the full health benefits but we are not there yet for the perfect combination.
Red wine - Resveratrol
Going back to the wine, drinking red wine just for the resveratrol seems silly, however there were other benefits in red wine besides just resveratrol. Red wine is proven to help keep the heart healthy and prevent cholesterol from clogging the arteries, but you have to consume in moderation. Red wine is somewhat of a double knockout for heart problems. One, the alcohol helps with the cholesterol clogging, and two, the resveratrol helps limit the body's absorption of unwanted fat and calories. So raise a glass to red wine, but only one glass (or two glasses for men) a day. And remember, it takes more than just wine for maximum resveratrol benefit.
When it comes to resveratrol supplements, they need to be able to reach the lower part of the digestive system if you are ingesting them. Since the average person will consume resveratrol in the form of a pill, it is this oral dosage that we are focusing on.
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