Resveratrol, Live to Be 125 Years Old

The French Paradox

The French have an astonishing 42% lower incidence of cardiovascular disease than North Americans, yet they consume one of the highest fat diets in the world. A study in 2006, which was published in the journal "Nature," showed that certain areas of France have traditional wine making practices that include a technique that helps to preserve more polyphenol compounds in their wine, including resveratrol. Since the French consume large amounts of wine, some researchers believe that it is the resveratrol from that wine which produces the French paradox.

Resveratrol is found naturally in small amounts in the skin of red grapes, some green teas, mulberries, bilberries, blue berries and even peanuts. One of the richest sources of resveratrol is the muscadine grape where it is found in both the skin and the seeds. Muscadine grapes are believed to have an extra chromosome, causing concentrations of 10 to 12 times as much resveratrol than ordinary grapes. In addition to the benefits for the heart, resveratrol has been proven to improve nutrient absorption, helps detoxify the body, increases energy levels and helps improve a long list of age related health problems. There is growing evidence that resveratrol can help people live a longer, healthier, more vital life.

In fact, resveratrol has been referenced in more than 2,500 research publications and in a number of studies performed by Harvard University, The National Institute on Aging, The National Cancer Institute and The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. There have also been many studies done on the apparent life extending properties of resveratrol.

Slowing Cellular Aging

Aging begins at the cellular level when we are about 20 years old. The first signs of aging occur when cells are damaged or weakened and cannot reproduce themselves or they can no longer perform their function efficiently. This cellular deterioration occurs due to such factors as damaged DNA strands in the cell, reduced energy production, oxidation effects and toxin buildup in the system.

DNA Damage

The DNA is the genetic blueprint that makes each of us unique. Each cell in each organ of the body can replicate itself many times during our lifetime. It is believed that during a seven year period every cell in our body will be completely replaced with new ones. If the DNA within the cells becomes damaged or corrupted, then the damage could be passed on to newly forming cells as they are replicated. In many cases, these faulty cells would be selected for a programmed death by the body. If not, and they continue to reproduce and grow, then it is usually the beginning of disease. Studies have shown that resveratrol protects the integrity of the sheath that surrounds the DNA ensuring that it performs its function uninterrupted.

Declining Mitochondrial Activity

Mitochondria could be thought of as little power plants in the cells that produce energy. They break down sugars to extract energy to fuel cell activity. During this process free radicals can also be produced and can cause damage in the DNA of the mitochondria. As the mitochondria become fewer and less efficient the cellular energy decreases, resulting in many age related diseases. Resveratrol has been shown to promote the mitochondrial activity and improve the number of mitochondria in the cells. Greater mitochondrial activity in the cells contributes to a more efficient and vital body.

Genetic Regulators

Cellular regulators were discovered by Dr. David Sinclair, Director of the Paul F. Glenn Laboratories for the Biological Mechanisms of Aging at the Harvard Medical School. Genetic regulators have a role of balancing between cell health and repair, and cell damage and death. When we are young, cell health and repair predominates. As we get older, cell damage and cell death predominates, which is central to the aging process. Resveratrol has the effect of positively influencing the genetic regulators to lean more towards the promotion of cell health, repair and longevity.

The Formation of AGE Proteins

To be clear at the start, this fourth way in which we age is not one where resveratrol has a healing influence. It is included here to separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak. The fourth way that cells age is by the accumulation of Advanced Glycation End Products (AGE proteins). Proteins perform numerous processes within the cell by binding with other proteins to unlock many cellular functions. The cross linking of sugars and protein (called glycation) prevents the binding of the proteins, which, in turn, prevents the unlocking of many cell processes. What this means is that as cells absorb nutrients and eliminate waste, AGE proteins start to accumulate and builds up as a sludge in the cells. To much sludge compromises the cells ability to function, which has an impact on longevity. While resveratrol itself does not protect against AGE buildup, other polyphenols do. If the reader is considering a resveratrol product they may want to research whether a particular product affects this fourth area of cell aging, usually by the inclusion of other polyphenols.

The Landmark Nutritional Supplement Study

The long term effects of taking resveratrol are unknown at this point. In fact, there are very few studies done that track the long term effects of using any kind of supplementation over periods of time. There is one study, though, which was performed to show how nutritional supplementation over long periods of time affected health. This study showed some very interesting results. Keep in mind that the study described below is not necessarily about resveratrol per se, but about vitamins and mineral supplements in general. Just the same, it will prove a point.

The independent study was done by the School of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley. It was part of a larger study called the"National Health and Nutrition Examination Study" assessing the overall health status of the American public that was being done by the same University.

The participants were divided into three groups and all were subjected to the same protocols -blood work, surveys, questionnaires and epidemiology. The first group were people who did not take supplements of any kind. The second group were people who did take supplements from a variety of companies on a regular basis for 20 or more years. The third group were people who took Shaklee products for more than 20 years. (Shaklee Corporation is the premiere natural nutrition company in America and has been in business for more than half a century.) The average age of the participants was 63 years.

The results were a real eye opener! For instance, according to the American Pharmacy Association, the typical American under age 65 has 12.2 prescriptions per year. The typical American over 65 has 19 prescriptions per year. The typical Shaklee user, with an average age of 63, has only .6 prescriptions per year.

The Results of the Biomarkers from the University of California Berkeley Study

Bio-markers     No Suppl Other Suppl Shaklee Healthy Range

Homocystein         9.6          9.1            6.1        Lower is best

C-reactive protein .46          .32           .19         Lower is best

HDL                    50.09        53.3         57.5  Should be > than 55

Triglycerides     180.1       145.3        121.0  Should be < than 150

The above biomarkers are believed to be the best predictors of major disease in America. Only the Shaklee group fell within healthy levels of biomarkers in all categories. In both the no supplements group and other supplements groups, all biomarkers fell outside healthy levels.

Incidence of Disease

                               No Supplements Other Suppl Shaklee 

Coronary Heart Disease    5.6%              7.1%           5.0%

Heart Attack                     4.4%               7.6%           2.5%

Congestive Heart Failure 3.5%               2.8%           1.4%

Type II Diabetes              8.5%               1 1.1%        2.9%

Participants Feel Their Health

is Good to Excellent          49.1%           55.6%          84.2%

　

From the above it can be seen that the incidence of disease is 140% to 380% more likely in the group taking no supplements and the group taking other supplements than those taking the Shaklee supplements. What is really scary about the results from the above study is that in 3 of 4 categories the group using other brands of multi-vitamins actually had a higher risk of disease than the people taking no supplements at all!

The reasons that Shaklee products did so much better than the other brands in the study is beyond the scope of this article. Suffice to say that there appears to be good reason that it is the number one health and wellness company in the U.S.A. To be fair, though, there are likely multi-vitamin companies out there that produce good quality products. The $65,000 question, or, put differently, the life and death question, is this: How do we know which brands of nutritional supplements are the good ones or not? How do we know if a product we are taking is actually doing what we believe it is supposed to do? It is your health and maybe your life that is on the line. In the above study, you can be sure that those participants taking the other brands of nutritional supplements thought they were doing something positive for their health.

Just because a product says Resveratrol on the package does not mean that it will be the best product available, or that it will necessarily improve your health. When it comes to resveratrol, or any other nutritional supplement, du diligence is required. Before you buy, research the company. Find out how long has it been in business, its manufacturing and packaging standards, are the ingredients from a natural source and do they research their products with double blind studies. In the case of resveratrol, does the product have a way to deal with AGE proteins, that fourth reason for cellular aging? We live in a day and age where people will produce inferior products and put your health second to their own financial gain. It is worth repeating - due diligence!!