The Benefits of Resveratrol Supplements

As you know resveratrol has become an incredibly popular supplement that has gained an extraordinary amount of media attention all spouting out various claims about what resveratrol can do for you. Well in this article I’ll go ahead and go over the research so you can see for yourself if resveratrol can help you out.

Currently research has shown that in rat and mouse studies it has been shown to have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, blood-sugar-lowering and beneficial cardiovascular effects. Furthermore, there has been one human study that was shown to significantly reduce blood sugar. Additionally, other studies have found resveratrol to extend the life of fruit flies, nematodes, worms and short living fish, however it did not increase the life span of mice. However we will go ahead and further analyze these studies so you can see the research for yourself.

Resveratrols theorized mechanism of action in humans

To help you understand the benefits of resveratrol first I will explain how it is theorized that resveratrol works in the body. Resveratrols mechanism of action is currently still under debate, however researchers believe it to mimic the effects of calorie restriction, which has been shown to increase the lifespan of humans. It is believed that resveratrol activates the SIRT1, PCG-1a, and also improve the functioning of the mitochondria. Increasing mitochondria function can help improve your life span because creates ATP (your primary source of energy) in your cell, and if it can become more efficient than you can produce more ATP with less waste. Furthermore, it has been theorized that SIRT1 is responsible for aging in humans, and that resveratrol activates it.

The research done on cancer with resveratrol

Resveratrol is also known to interfere with all three stages of cancer initiation, promotion, and progression. For example in vitro (test tube), it has been shown to inhibit the proliferation of human pancreatic cancer cells. Furthermore, in some cancer cell cultures it has been shown to cause apoptosis, which means that it kills cells and can kill cancer cells.

What about the side effects?

As far as side effects, it has been shown in studies to not have any adverse effects. Some studies have theorized that it may stimulate the growth of human breast cancer cells, because resveratrols chemical structure is similar to that of phytoestrogens. On the other hand, many studies have found it to actually fight breast cancer. Finally one study found that a single dose to up to 5 g of trans-resveratrol caused no serious adverse effects to healthy participants.