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Resveratrol: The Antioxidant Compound in Red Wine that Provides Multiple Health Benefits
What Is Resveratrol?Resveratrol is a naturally occurring compound produced by plants in response to fungal infections, injury, stress and UV radiation. It's considered a part of their natural "defense system," protecting their delicate tissues from illness and disease.
Resveratrol is found in grapevines—in the vines, roots, seeds and stalks—with its highest concentration being in the grape skin. Resveratrol is also found in raspberries, mulberries, peanuts and other plants.
Red wine, made from grapes, contains high levels of resveratrol. It's extracted during the wine--making process along with other polyphenols, including quercetin, catechins and prodelphidins during a process called maceration.
How Does It Affect Health?
The health benefits of drinking red wine have been widely recognized for years. In fact, nearly ten years ago scientists suggested that red wine consumption may be responsible for the "French paradox"—or the notably low occurrence of cardiovascular complications among the French people, who eat a relatively high--fat diet.
Researchers believe that the resveratrol in red wine is responsible for its protective effects on human health. As an antioxidant polyohenol, resveratrol works to counter oxidative damage to human cells and tissues caused by unstable molecules called free radicals.
Free radicals, generated by normal body processes such as breathing and digestion and also from exposure to pollution, toxins and UV radiation, "attack" healthy cells, damaging important parts of their structure, including proteins, membranes and DNA. Free radical damage to cells is associated with a variety of health complications, including cardiovascular and immune issues. It's also believed to play a part in the aging process.
What Proof Is There That Resveratrol Works?A recent landmark study from Harvard Medical School, published in the medical journal Nature, found that high doses of resveratrol allowed obese mice to eat a high fat diet and still live a long and healthy life1.
Researchers discovered that the liver and other systems in obese mice remained healthy (when they should not have) and fat--related deaths dropped 31 percent for those mice given a resveratrol supplement.
Do I Have to Drink Red Wine to Obtain Resveratrol?
No. Resveratrol is now available in supplement form, so you can experience all of its health benefits—without the side effects of increased alcohol consumption. Nutraceutical Sciences Institute® (NSI®) offers an exlcusive resveratrol supplement called Longevatrol™ Stabilized Polyphenol Complex, delivering 100 mg of Polygonum cuspidate (standardized to 50% resveratrol) and 100 mg of red wine extract (standardized to 40% polyphenols) per one--capsule serving. To obtain the amount of resveratrol present in one serving of this outstanding supplement, you would need to consume more than 46 glasses of red wine!
NSI® also offers the following unique resveratrol formulas:
1. Baur, J.; Pearson, K.; Price, N.; Jamieson, H.; Lerin, C.; Kalra, A.; et al. Resveratrol improves health and survival of mice on a high-calorie diet. Nature. Advance online publication, 1 November 2006.
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