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What Is Reservatrol?

Resveratrol may seem like a recent discovery but its existence has been known since 1940. Its recent discovery in the skin of grapes has initiated new interest in this substance. The assumption triggering this new interest is its possible connection to the "French Paradox"---the fact that the wine loving French eat a diet very high in saturated fat and yet have low rates of heart disease. The possibility that a substance like resveratrol could reverse or halt the effect of saturated fat in the body may be a reason to consider supplementing with resveratrol.

  1. Defining Resveratrol

    • The substance resveratrol is found in certain plants, fruits and seeds and most recently in the skin of grapes. The MD Anderson Cancer Center describes resveratrol as being made by plants "to help defend against invading fungi, stress, injury, infection and too much sunlight." Resveratrol is a polyphenolic compound or polyphenol. Polyphenols are known to have antioxidant effects. Antioxidants aid in neutralizing and minimizing the damage of free radicals in the body.

    Finding Resveratrol

    • Reservatrol was initially located in the roots of the white hellebore lily in 1940 by Dr. Takaota. It was later located in the roots of knotwood in 1963. Knotwood, also known as Polygonum Cuspidatum, is the richest natural source of resveratrol known to date. The world's attention was again directed to resveratrol when it was discovered in the skin of grapes. This knowledge led to the association of resveratrol as explaining the cardiovascular effects found in wine.

    Inhibition Of Influenza A

    • The Journal of Infectious Diseases published an article in 2005 that outlines the testing of resveratrol on Influenza A replication. The testing conducted on mice showed that resveratrol inhibited cell function that blocked the virus. The conclusion drawn was resveratrol could be a possible anti-influenza drug.

    Foods Containing Resveratrol

    • It is known that resveratrol can inhibit cancer cell growth in a culture. It is also known that resveratrol can extend the life of mice, yeast, fish, fruit flies and worms on high calorie diets. What is not known is whether resveratrol can do the same in humans. The best way at this point to ingest resveratrol is through a food source. The Linus Pauling Institute lists the following as resveratrol food sources: ­peanuts, blueberries, cranberries and grapes.

    Resveratrol And Colon Cancer

    • A study is underway to examine the effects of resveratrol on colon cancer. The study being conducted by University of California, Irvine, began in 2005 and is scheduled to end in December 2009. The hope is to further identify resveratrol's action on the Wnt signaling pathway. The Wnt pathway is compromised in many colon cancer cases. Resveratrol has previously shown the ability to modulate the Wnt pathway.

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