Tag Resveratrol Benefits

September 29, 2015 by Mayank

Brain Decline and Resveratrol

At Resveralife, we’re already pretty impressed with what the amazing antioxidant resveratrol is capable of, although the topic of health benefits from consuming resveratrol has been hotly debated for years. Many claim there is not enough clinical research to suggest that resveratrol really does incredibly positive health benefits, such as aiding in the fight against Alzheimer’s and other age-related degenerative diseases. The opinion of the medical community may be changing in light of a large clinic study involving resveratrol and patients with Alzheimer’s.

The Study
Published in the medical journal, Neurology, the study solidifies prior suggestions that resveratrol helps patients with Alzheimer’s. Researchers found that resveratrol really does protect brain decline as a result of aging. The study was incredible in scale: 20 medical centers from all of the United States were used to produce these findings. In addition to attempting to determine the appropriate dose of resveratrol, researchers were also monitoring the safety of using this antioxidant in large doses. One group of study participants were administered high doses of resveratrol (enough resveratrol to equal the amount found in 1,000 bottles of red wine) in pill form while others were given placebo pills. All participants in the study had mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.

The Findings
Researchers discovered that patients who took up to four resveratrol pills per day for a period of one year had higher biomarker levels in their spinal fluid than those who had received the placebo pills. The biomarker in question is amyloid-beta proteins, which is quite interesting because these biomarkers are the hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease when they are present in the brain. However, the higher level of amyloid-beta proteins were found outside of the brain, which is quite healthy. The study concluded that resveratrol may help to adjust the balance of amyloid-beta proteins in the body by reducing the levels in the brain and increasing level found outside of the brain.

Implications
While the results of this study are incredibly exciting, it is worth noting that much more research is required before resveratrol pills featuring this high of a dosage are available for all. Dr. Scott Turner, professor of neurology at Georgetown University Medical Center, led the study and was optimistic about the results. “The study is encouraging enough that we should certainly go ahead and do a [larger] clinical trial because we showed that it is safe and does have significant effects on Alzheimer’s biomarkers.” There was only one-side effect present during this survey, and that was weight-loss. Because one of the main goals in the study was to determine the safety of taking resveratrol, researchers were pleased that weight-loss was the only noted side effect.

More clinical research is needed before high potency resveratrol and Dr. Turner is currently conducting another study on this antioxidant. It is likely that for those with degenerative diseases, resveratrol will be added to current medication rather than being the only thing used for disease management. Increasing your consumption of berries, peanuts, dark chocolate (70% cacao or higher) and a nightly glass or two of red wine are ways that you can add resveratrol into your life. Enjoy some decadent dark chocolate or luscious red wine and add this powerful antioxidant to your daily routine.

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June 4, 2015 by Mayank

History of Resveratrol

Resveratrol is a polyphenol that is naturally found in sources such as grapes, blueberries, cranberries, billberries and peanuts. Perhaps the most well-known and discussed source of resveratrol is red wine. Research suggests that resveratrol is a key ingredient in red wine that prevents damage to blood vessels, prevent blood clots and reduces your levels of LDL (low-density lipoprotein known as “bad” cholesterol). This polyphenol has been the subject of much research and study for several years, but resveratrol has been used for years.

Early History
In 1940, resveratrol was identified in the roots of a Japanese plant known as white hellebore. Years later, in 1963, resveratrol was also found in the roots of Japanese knotweed, which was used traditionally in Chinese and Japanese medicine. These cultures used Japanese knotweed to treat a large range of medical afflictions from infections, inflammations, liver disease and cardiovascular disease.

Women having red wine in a bar.

The French Paradox
It is widely known that French cuisine features foods that are rich and contain saturated fats, yet the French people are among the slimmest people in the world. Dr. Serge Renaud coined the phrase the “French Paradox” to describe the ability of the French to eat a diet rich in saturated fats and still remain thin. Additionally, the “French Paradox” focused on the fact that French people also suffer low instances of heart diseases. Doctors and researchers theorized that perhaps the alcohol consumption of the French had something to do with their ability to maintain healthy weights and healthy hearts. Specifically, researchers were curious about the amount of red wine that is consumed by the French and whether or not red wine would benefit other diets as well.

The 2000s and Beyond
David Sinclair, of Harvard Medical School, conducted studies the sowed the ability of resveratrol improved the life of yeast cells by as much as 70%. In 2004, another study at Harvard Medical School found that resveratrol lengthed the lifespan of worms and flies. Flies had a lifespan increased by about 30% while worms remained alive 70% longer. Additional studies on resveratrol had the same results; mice given a resveratrol supplement had a longer life expectancy than mice who were not given a resveratrol supplement.

Research and development for resveratrol has provided doctors and researchers with a wide range of the possible health benefits of consuming resveratrol. One of the major areas of study involves the “French Paradox,” which is the study of why the French, who frequently eat foods rich in saturated fats, are able to remain slim and why they have good health especially heart health. Other major studies involve the role of resveratrol in cancer and heart health such as reducing the levels of LDL (“bad” cholesterol) and lowering blood pressure.

While the research on resveratrol continues, many health experts agree that the health benefits of resveratrol are widely beneficial. You can enjoy resveratrol’s benefits by eating grapes, nuts or pouring yourself a glass of red wine. Always consult with your doctor before adding supplements or drastically changing your diet to be sure you are not harming your health more than helping it.

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February 8, 2015 by Mayank

Study Shows that Resveratrol Inhibits Acne Bacteria

Resveralife came across a study that was published in the Dermatology and Therapy Journal in the year 2014. The study was conducted by a group of researchers working for the UCLA and it discovered that resveratrol, a compound found in the skin of red grapes, can help in inhibiting the growth of bacteria that leads to acne. Resveratrol has also been prescribed by specialists because of its skin benefits and heart-health properties.

The researchers discovered that combining benzoyl peroxide (a common acne medication) with resveratrol substantially enhanced the drug’s effectiveness in killing the acne bacteria and also inhibits its growth. Resveratrol is an excellent antioxidant that prevents the cell and tissue damage caused by free radicals. On the other hand, benzoyl peroxide is an oxidant that creates free radicals, which in turn kill the acne bacteria. According to the findings of this study, a combination of benzoyl peroxide and resveratrol attacked the Propionibacterium acnes (the acne causing bacteria) in multiple ways.

Millions of people are known to suffer from acne all over the world. The appearance of acne has a significant psychosocial effect on the person who suffers from it, but very limited progress has been made in terms of offering effective acne solutions. Researchers have mentioned that all current treatments like retinoids and benzoyl peroxide are limited by side effects and antibiotic resistance.

According to Dr. Emma Taylor, the first author of this study, the researchers initially believed that the combination of the two ingredients would cancel out because the two compounds are opposing. However, in reality, the study ended up demonstrating that combining an antioxidant with an oxidant can not only enhance both ingredients, but also offer sustained bacteria-fighting capabilities over a period of time.

As a part of the study, researchers grew colonies of acne causing bacteria and added different concentrations of both ingredients, including individual ingredient compositions. The cultures were monitored for bacterial activity for a period of 10 days. It was found that benzoyl peroxide killed the bacteria at all concentration levels, but the effect never lasted for more than 24 hours. Cultures that only had resveratrol showed inhibited bacteria growth for a longer period of time. However, cultures that had a combination of both ingredients proved to be the most effective in reducing bacteria both in terms of count and duration.

Dr. Jenny Kim, a senior author of the study, mentions that the results were almost like combining the best of different worlds to offer the body a two-pronged protection from the acne causing bacteria.

The researchers also tested both compounds for their toxicity on cultured human blood cells and skin cells. It was noted that resveratrol was less toxic than benzoyl peroxide. This explained the reasons why the skin becomes irritated and reddish when high doses of benzoyl peroxide are used to treat acne. Researchers noted that combining both compounds minimized their toxicity and offered a prolonged antibacterial effect on the acne causing bacteria.

These findings could actually lead to less irritating and more effective topical therapies for acne. The next step of this study is expected to involve more laboratory testings so as understand the mechanisms of both compounds better. Vine Vera believes that this study shows great promise for people suffering from acne issues because it could lead to the development of a number of highly effective treatments.

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Resveratrol Benefits

Brain Decline and Resveratrol

History of Resveratrol

Study Shows that Resveratrol Inhibits Acne Bacteria

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