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How Does Resveratrol Work?

By: Jeremy Lucas

Even before scientists started studying the French paradox, which hypothesizes that those who drink red wine on a daily basis have a lower instances of heart disease, we have known that red wine can be beneficial to our health when taken in moderation. Studies have revealed that an antioxidant found in the skins of grapes, called resveratrol, is one of the sources for those health benefits.

This polyphenol is produced by plants to fight off bacteria and harsh weather conditions. It looks as if some of these protective properties are transferred over to a us when we consume it. Some of the benefits of resveratrol include; an extended active life, prevention and possible treatment of diabetes, a reduction in dementia, improved endurance, and increased athletic performance.

Sure, all of these benefits sound too good to be true. Is this discovery too good to be true, or is it really the next step in increasing our life span? If it is for real, than how does resveratrol work?

Unlike other “miracle cures” it seems that resveratrol actually has some weight behind it. Scientists have conducted a series of tests that have shown this substance to increase the life of yeast, worms, fish, and mice. However, it was not until they figured out why it worked that they really started to become excited about the prospect of human usage.

To understand how this works you need to know a little bit about the Calorie Restriction Diet. Of all the methods we have tried to use in order to live longer, calorie restriction is one of the few methods that is universally believed to be effective. The idea behind this lifestyle, is that by eating 15%-30% less food (this often comes out to about 1400-1700 calories per day) you can extend your life 1 to 2 decades. Those on the diet also show lower levels of cholesterol, lower fasting insulin levels, higher levels of mental focus, and increased endurance. They were also able to maintain this into old age. If those benefits sound exactly like the resveratrol benefits, you are starting to understand why this works.

Obviously, this diet is no fun which is why so few people actually stick with it long term. When scientists began to study different compounds looking for are one that mimicked the results of calorie restriction, they struck gold when they learned resveratrol did just that.

Dr. David Sinclair, from the Harvard Medical School, conducted tests where mice were fed an incredibly high fat diet. Half of those were given resveratrol as well. A control group was fed a normal healthy diet and did not take any supplements.

The mice on only the high fat diet showed similar symptoms to what happens when humans become obese. Their activity level greatly decreased, their livers swelled and became incredibly fatty, they started to develop diabetes and cancer, and died at an early age.

Those on the high fat diet with resveratrol showed none of these symptoms. In fact, their levels in all aspects of health were nearly identical to those of the mice eating a healthy diet.

This study seems to show that getting a healthy dose of resveratrol can help fight off the damages of obesity and give you the benefits of a calorie restricted diet, all without changing what you eat.

This is not to suggest that taking this supplement gives you free reign to eat all the doughnuts, pizza, and potato chips you want. The mice in the study might not have had as many problems with obesity, but they still were incredibly fat. It just means that we may now have a real chance to extend our life span without suffering through the hunger and pain that comes with severely limiting calories. A healthy life style combined with resveratrol may allow us to stay healthy and active decades longer than we can now.

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