Benefits of Resveratrol

Just How Helpful is Resveratrol to Your Health?

The benefits of Resveratrol in red wine has been stirring up a lot of positive press lately, but how helpful is resveratrol to your health? The amount of information that has sprung up relating to this compound has confused the issue somewhat. Some nutritionists have claimed it as a super antioxidant and a powerful potential treatment for many common and serious diseases. How accurate is all this information?

Diet

Ever since studies began into the diet of French people, Americans have become curious about how they get away with eating so much fatty foods and yet still stay in perfect health for many years. The French take in large amounts of cheese, cream, croissants and other foods high in fat content. They actually eat on average 3 times as much fat as Americans, but their levels of heart attacks are 3 times lower. This is known as the French paradox, as high levels of fat intake are typically linked to negative consequences for health.

After much study, scientists have concluded that the difference between the French and American diets which leads to this paradox is the consumption of red wine. The active agent in red wine that causes this effect is the antioxidant benefits of resveratrol. This nutrient is claimed by researchers to be an excellent tool for fighting cancer, and it is the main reason why French people remain healthy despite a high fat diet.

Research

However, is the evidence for the health benefits of this antioxidant really that solid? Researchers have aimed to test that question to see how effective the nutrient is at stopping heart disease and cancer. Studies were conducted on two different groups, one of which was supplemented with the antioxidant while the other was not.

The findings are as follows: The group given the supplements had an overall increase in the level of heart health and a lower incidence of heart disease than the group that was given nothing. Scientists decided to then repeat a similar experiment, this time testing the effects on cancer.

When the supplements were fed to subjects with cancer, researchers discovered that resveratrol helped to slow the growth and spread of tumors and malignant cells. The nutrient, combined with cancer cells in a culture, led to the cancer cells simply dying off. The antioxidant fights the energy source of the cancer cells, which means it is incapable of having negative effects on healthy cells, unlike treatments such as chemotherapy.

Summary

This should answer the question of “How helpful is Resveratrol to your health?” As you are now aware, we need a steady supply of this nutrient to prevent aging and avoid ongoing damage to cells. On top of its effects as a strong antioxidant, studies show that the nutrient can help prevent many serious diseases.

It is a wise decision to include it as part of your diet by supplementing your food intake with nutrient capsules to maximize the health benefits.

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