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Resveratrol Is A Supplement With Plenty of Promise

TanakaHideshi | Jul 30, 2010 |

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More supplements are being brought into the marketplace every year. Resveratrol is one of the newest supplements to hit the market, though it was all but unknown to most people a few short years ago. So, this all begs the question, "What is resveratrol and why should I care?"

Resveratrol belongs to a series of compounds that are known as antioxidants. During the course of metabolism, something called free radicals. Environmental pollutants also introduce free radicals into the body. The damage done to the body by free radicals is due to a reaction in where electrons start getting passed around between molecules in the body. The transfer of material between molecules also has a risk of damage being done.

Antioxidants stop this process by neutralizing the free radicals. This is where resveratrol comes back into the picture. Resveratrol is a powerful antioxidant that naturally occurs in grape seed extract, red grapes, and thus red wine. Some people believe that it is one of the factors responsible for what has come to be known as the French Paradox, which is the question as to why, despite such high levels of smoking and saturated fat consumption, the French people have such a low incidence of heart disease.

Resveratrol is thought to benefit a wide range of medical conditions, including cardiovascular health. It is believed to improve energy levels, slow down the effects of aging, improve the health of your joints, help you sleep better, and support cancer-fighting treatments. Since so many different conditions have the potential for improvement, it is well worth the time to give resveratrol a closer scientific look in order to determine how valid these claims are.

And scientists are definitely giving resveratrol that look, using animal studies at this point. Promising results have been found so far, but study is still very early. When given resveratrol, mice experience a rise in oxygen levels in the muscle and mitochondria. The mice also underwent an increase in the production of both enzymes and proteins, two substances that normally show an age-related decline in the body. It is believed that the increased production will be of benefit when it comes to slowing down the aging process and in preventing the development of some degenerative diseases. There was a great deal of excitement over one particular study that found that mice who took resveratrol enjoyed an increase in their longevity. Although additional study should be done to determine whether this holds, there is definitely a great deal of optimism in the scientific community. In the meantime, there are plenty of manufacturers of resveratrol capsules, and the different variations of resveratrol Jarrow Formulas and other manufacturers offer give you plenty of choices.