Resveratrol (often misspelled Resveratol) is a polyphenol produced by certain plants to guard themselves against the onset of diseases, fungi, bacteria, and extreme heat.

Sources and Types of Resveratrol Supplement

Resveratrol is found in red wine grapes, Japanese knotweed, peanuts and mulberries. Resveratrol supplements come in various forms mainly pills, tablets and are only recently becoming popular due to positive medical research studies.

Resveratrol Supplements are of two types i.e. cis-resveratrol and trans-Resveratrol. These forms contain the same type and number of atoms, but the orientation of the atoms is a bit different.

How Resveratrol was introduced to the world?

Resveratrol Supplements have gained popularity since Barbara Walters featured a segment on the age-defying benefits of this powerful antioxidant on 60 minutes. Later on, the incredible medical benefits of Resveratrol came to fore that it leads to smoother, younger looking skin.

Research Findings on Resveratrol

The most widely quoted research work on Resveratrol published in the open-access journal Public Library of Science One, suggests that low doses of Resveratrol in the diet of middle-aged mice may influence on the genetic levers of aging and may confer special protection on the heart. Lead author Jamie Barger from LifeGen Technologies in Wisconsin iterated, "Our findings that a low dose of Resveratrol partially mimics calorie restriction at the gene expression level and leads to prevention of some age-related parameters suggests that clinical trials with Resveratrol should be conducted to test the relevance of these findings to humans".

Health Benefits of Resveratrol Supplements

Multiple studies have been conducted in regard to confirm numerous claims of Resveratrol benefits. Initial studies have been conducted on laboratory animals, and while human research is in its primary stages. Agreed to in several medical arenas, it is found that Resveratrol provides many important health benefits for the people who properly supplement their diets with this compound. Numerous benefits of Resveratrol are briefed as under:

• Harvard Medical School and the Institute of Genetics and Molecular Biology have found that Resveratrol is a strong anti-oxidant that radically reduces the risk of heart diseases by neutralizing the free radicals in the body. The elimination of free radicals also provides life prolonging effects as they are found to improve function of the cell mitochondria.
• Resveratrol can be an effective suppressant without the jitters. Insulin production in the pancreas can be regulated with the help of Resveratrol.
• Resveratrol is also found effective for age related illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease.
• Resveratrol helps in skin improvement by ameliorating skin elasticity and smoothness.
• Resveratrol inhibits a list of cancerous tumors which include, prostate cancer, breast cancer, melanoma, liver cancer, brain cancer, pancreatic cancer, kidney cancer, colon cancer, ovarian and cervical cancer, lymphoma, and it also has been linked to act as an anti-leukemia agent. With the three steps of initiation, promotion and progression it appears Resveratrol is able to selectively target, kill cancer cells and stop them from spreading.
• Interestingly enough, the pathogens that prompt Resveratrol production in plant also attack humans and because Resveratrol is not produced by the human body, their ingestion as a food supplement has been shown to benefit us in more ways than we could imagine.
• Resveratrol has potential to prevent cell damage. This will help to prolong effects through the cell renewal.
• Resveratrol’s several promising heath benefits make it the wonder drug of the century. As an antioxidant, it helps break down the fats stored in the white adipose tissue of our body so they get metabolized by the liver.
• Several research findings point to Resveratrol’s dual role in maintaining a healthy heart and blood circulation with low doses, while counteracting tumor cell growth in larger doses. As a result, Resveratrol not only has health promoting, medicinal properties, it also prolongs life.
• While it is always best to obtain nutrients and vitamins from natural food sources, when there are severe deficiencies, or it is not possible to obtain vitamins from dietary means, supplements can be a great way to introduce these much needed nutrients into the body.