I may be quite delayed in this, but someone recently pointed out to me a very humorous piece (at least, very humorous to me) in the New Yorker about researching resveratrol. The article is written as a parody of Daniel Keyes’ novel “Flowers for Algernon” (which, I am assuming, we all remember reading in grade school). In case you don’t remember the media storm from the past few years, resveratrol is a phytochemical which is actually part of a plant’s defense system against predation. The compound is found in a number of different plants; however, it has gained the most noteriety for being a component of grape skin and, therefore, red wine. Originally, researchers were looking to answer the French Paradox (or why there was low CHD incidence in France despite increased saturated fat intake). The suggested health benefits of resveratrol (based on mouse studies) include life extension, cancer prevention and even endurance enhancement; however, the dosages needed to observe these effects are unfortunately unattainable by just drinking wine (I have seen estimates between 14 and >35 bottles of wine/day based on type of grape). I’m not saying that light-to-moderate consumption (1 to 2 drinks/day) of wine or any alcohol is detrimental to your heath. In fact, The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) reported that moderate drinkers have the highest longevity versus those who abstain or abuse. So, enjoy your Merlot and Cabernet. Just don’t expect it to be a miracle cure.
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1 Linda // Mar 31, 2009 at 11:40 pm
Have you had a chance to watch 60 Minutes or Barbra Walters segments last weekend about it?
It show promise in mice. For mice, has shown major health improvements including blood sugar control. Keep in mind that 6 out of 10 major drug successes in mice – fail in humans. But the limited human trials showed promise and there are some patients that claim it helps. However, this could be the ‘placebo effect,’ and only empirical data under controlled experiments can tell for sure. It will take a few years for these clinical trials to conclude.
You can get supplements of the extract right now. While it is safe, it is not guaranteed to work. Before making a decision, you should watch all the videos. Here’s the a recap from all the trustworthy shows:
http://resveratrolcertifiedsupplements.com/?page_id=4
I did some research and learned the following: You can only get 1-2mgs of it in a single bottle of wine. So, white, it’s a good excuse to drink wine, but you really won’t get much benefit. There are resveratrol supplements on the market – but many do not have the required strength and they don’t work for everyone. The only way to know for sure is to try the supplements. Hope you find this interesting… its a future hope for the fountain of youth and treatments (not cures) for countless diseases.
-Linda, the Good Nurse.
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