Has Resveratrol Research Shown Any Benefits for Human Health?

If you're one of those who haven't heard of resveratrol, don't worry, you soon will. Resveratrol has been brought into the public's consciousness by Dr. Oz Mehmet on the daytime television show Oprah.

Resveratrol is a naturally occurring substance found in many plants, fruits, and vegetables such as a variety of berries, peanuts, cacao, and grapes. The resveratrol in grapes is also present in red wine, since the grape skins are used in the making of red wine, and grape skins have more resveratrol than any other single part of the plant.

For those who choose to abstain from any sort of alcohol, simply eating grapes fresh is considered an acceptable alternative to drinking wine, though you may not be getting the full dose of resveratrol compared to those who imbibe 1-2 glasses of red wine everyday.

Grapes are also considered to be the greatest source of resveratrol with cacao being a close second. Surely that's another good reason to eat chocolate!

Resveratrol is also available in a supplement form. There are a variety of supplements offered through a large number of suppliers on the internet today.

However, much of the information on resveratrol today has yet to be approved by the FDA, and if you're considering using resveratrol as a nutritional supplement, you should consult your physician first.

The information presented here today is not to be considered medical advice, but rather, to encourage the exploration and discovery of alternative approaches for individuals to maintain their own health.

Most of the research into resveratrol has, thus far, been in animal testing and in laboratory settings. Very little human testing has been made available. With that being said let's look at three of the possible benefits touted for resveratrol.

Possible Resveratrol Benefit Number One: Limited Age Reversal

Laboratory studies in mice have shown the substance to be anti-inflammatory, anti-infective, and an anti-oxidant. It's also been said to activate the so-called "longevity gene" Sir2 (or SirT1) in testing. Tests have even shown, in isolated human cells, that even the influenza virus' reproduction is limited.

Possible Resveratrol Benefit Number Two: Anti-Cancer Properties

Studies from various medical researchers has indicated that resveratrol may hold promise in treating breast, prostate, and neuroblastoma cancers. Activating a cell's defense mechanism(s) allows it time to repair harm done to it's DNA structure. Again, this research has been largely done in mice.

Possible Resveratrol Benefit Number Three: A Healthy Heart

There appears to possibly be some cardiovascular benefits to taking resveratrol. In the hearts of lab mice where heart damaged was induced, there were recovery benefits shown, when the mice were given resveratrol. In the cases of mice that were pre-conditioned with resveratrol, the damage induced by researchers was abrogated.

In Conclusion

While there's still much research needed to determine the proper applications, dosages, etc., in regards to using resveratrol, anything showing promise in the human battle against heart-disease, cancer, and premature aging is worth the investigation.

It's not the author's intention to encourage the use of resveratrol, or any supplement, blindly.