How Resveratrol Can Extend Your Life

Resveratrol is an anti-oxidant known as a phytoalexin produced naturally by a number of plants and berries to fight bacterial and fungal infections. A common source of resveratrol is red grapes, which is why resveratrol can often be found in red wine. Unfortunately, in order to get any benefit from resveratrol from red wine, you would have to drink quite a lot of it! Fortunately, it can also be produced as a supplement through chemical synthesis, primarily made from Japanese Knotweed. There has been a lot of research carried out on resveratrol due to the number of health benefits claimed to be associated with it. Perhaps the biggest assertion made about the uses of resveratrol is the claim that it can extend your life.

A lot of the research concerned with resveratrol has been carried out on animals, in particular mice and rats. In these experiments, resveratrol was found to have had anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory results, as well as helping to avoid symptoms of diabetes such as high blood glucose and insulin. Unfortunately, these results have not been replicated in human trials; however there have been other positive results in human trials, albeit with high doses (3-5g). Results included lower blood sugar levels, inflammation preventing properties, as well as helping to reduce the effects of a high fat diet. There are also claims that resveratrol can help stop estrogens from causing different forms of cancer, however there is not enough research to say whether or not this is true. Another benefit that is claimed to be a result of resveratrol is that it can help protect your brain and nervous system due to its anti-oxidant properties that protect cells from free radical damage. Claims that it can help prevent or reduce the effects of Alzheimer’s disease are linked to the supposed life extending properties of resveratrol.

A lot of people around the world spend a lot of time and money trying to find ways to feel and look young, from money spent on anti-wrinkle treatments to diet and exercise regimes. Researchers have found that resveratrol can extend the life of fruit flies, some worms and yeast. Italian scientists found that it increased the life span of fish by 56% by increasing its swimming activity and learning to avoid unpleasant stimulus. However, other research on mice found that although resveratrol helped fight the effects of a high-fat diet, it did not increase their life span. Overall though, it is thought that the claims of life extending properties of resveratrol are well founded. The main example of this is the increases life expectancy amongst people in countries where red wine is often taken as part of the daily diet. Whilst the presence of resveratrol in red wine is not the only factors affecting their life span, it is thought to be a contributor, but as mentioned above, in order to get any real benefits from resveratrol in wine it would need to be quite a high intake.

Whilst research has found that resveratrol has numerous health benefits for animals, the research on humans is not so conclusive. However there have been signs of possible life extending properties in various forms of research. In order to get the best from resveratrol there are a number of supplements or purified forms available on the market for daily intake. And whilst the life extending research has yet to prove conclusive, the anti-oxidant properties are guaranteed to have health benefits and so are definitely worth trying.