Monthly Archives: November 2009

Preserve Your Body and Mind with Resveratrol

The Oprah Winfrey Show is widely recognized as a source of expert advice on health and anti-aging. Not long ago, Dr. Mehmet Oz, an American heart surgeon of Turkish origin and an expert on the latest anti-aging techniques, made a guest appearance on the show. Dr. Oz presented some of his findings concerning resveratrol-a newly identified antioxidant and a possible catalyst for fighting, reducing, and even reversing the effects of growing older.

Fight Toxins, Fight Aging

Oxidants are toxins that attack the body's organs. These toxins are responsible for wrinkles, organ damage, and can even produce cancer. Antioxidants, as the name suggests, are the archenemies of oxidants. They protect the body's organs and cells, particularly its nervous system. Consequently, antioxidants at once destroy toxic oxidants and restore damaged tissue.

Resveratrol and Sirtuins

Resveratrol is one of the most powerful antioxidants discovered to date. How does resveratrol work? This antioxidant activates "Sirtuins," a type of longevity gene capable of both reducing cellular decay and aiding the cells of the body to restore themselves. As a result, a person who takes resveratrol as a dietary supplement can expect to not only feel better on the inside as the health of their internal systems improves, but also to see a marked improvement in the appearance, tone, and coloring of the skin.

Hence there are a multitude of benefits generated by ingesting resveratrol on a regular basis. Resveratrol has been found to both fight against, and protect the body from, cancer. It can also protect the body if it is exposed to certain types of radiation and, of course, assist in weight loss.

Still, this is only the tip of the iceberg! Studies concerning resveratrol are still in their infancy, and GlaxoSmithKline has already invested almost a billion dollars to further our knowledge of this seemingly miraculous antioxidant.

A Naturally Occurring Substance

Identified in'63 as "ko-jo-kon," resveratrol has been used for a long time as a homeopathic remedy-derived from Japanese Knotweed-in Asia. While Japanese Knotwood would seem to be a rather obscure source of resveratrol, you might actually have some growing in your backyard! Knotwood has been identified as an invasive, virtually invincible weed in more than thirteen states. Its hardiness derives directly from the resveratrol it contains. Thus Knotwood is used by some in cooking, as a substitute for rhubarb, while companies have begun manufacturing supplements from it.

Another source of resveratrol is the peanut. Yes, the same peanut you can purchase at a supermarket has the capacity to improve your quality of life. Although peanuts have been traditionally considered to be very fatty and unhealthy, medical inquiries have demonstrated that those people who consume peanuts every day are healthier, with lower body fat than the majority of the population.

Yet another source of resveratrol was found in'92: the grapevine and, accordingly, red wine derived from it. A glass of red wine a day is now considered to be a healthy option for most heart-conscious adults. Nonetheless, when it comes to resveratrol, consider the fact that it would take nearly a thousand bottles of red wine to generate the amount of resveratrol that you will find in a single dosage of a resveratrol supplement!