Resveratrol and Hair Growth

Resveratrol, a substance found predominantly in red wine, as well as peanuts, pine trees and other plants, has been touted as a significant contributor to overall health, and recently as a preventer of hair loss. Since hair loss is attributed to several things, including inflammation and cell death, resveratrol's ability to inhibit these effects makes it useful for hair regrowth or prevention of hair loss.

Resveratrol is a Polyphenol

• Resveratrol is a substance found predominantly in grapes, especially the peel and seed. In the past decade, resveratrol has gained attention in the medical and alternative medicine communities as being a polyphenol, which means it comes from a class of organic plant compounds having more than one phenol group, and is a powerful antioxidant.

Resveratrol is Most Potent as a Supplement

• Red wine has been found to have health benefits because of its resveratrol content. The substance is also found in other things, but grapes are known to have the highest quantities. However, its concentration can be amplified greatly in supplement form. Since it's not recommended to drink more than a glass or two of wine a day, a resveratrol supplement is the best method for obtaining its benefits, coming in both liquid and pill form.

Prevents Cell Death

• Resveratrol has been found to prevent or reverse cell death. Hair loss is attributed to hair cell apoptosis, which is programmed cell death. This cell death executes apoptosis Protein Kinase C isozymes, which kill cells and lead to hair loss. Resveratrol is a known inhibitor of PKC, according to hairloss-research.org.

Inhibits Inflammation

• Inflammation is a known degenerative factor to aging and health. Proven to be a cause of androgenetic alopecia, the prevention and halting of inflammation greatly improves the many conditions of disease. Resveratrol has been shown to inhibit inflammation on a cellular level, and is being used in hair regrowth and hair loss prevention treatments.

Combining Resveratrol and Curcumin

• Perhaps the most recent discovery is on resveratrol combined with curcumin to stimulate hair growth. With resveratrol's anti-inflammatory properties and curcumin's ability to inhibit the compound TGF-B (an inflammatory cytokine directly associated with balding), the two substances together have been found to be beneficial in hair loss prevention and regrowth. This combination is being patented in Italy.