Researchers have been studying the health benefits of red wine for several years and found one of the most potent antioxidants can also help with weight loss and increasing athletic endurance. That antioxidant is resveratrol, which is a natural compound found in the skin of grapes.
History
Resveratrol is an antioxidant produced in plants, such as grapes, peanuts, blueberries, Japanese knotweed and other berries. According to Drugs.com, a large amount of resveratrol is produced in the skin of the grapes to help protect the fruit against sun damage and fungal disease, but the plant source producing the highest amount of resveratrol is the Japanese knotweed. Red wines are fermented with the grape skins longer than white wines, so red wines have more resveratrol. Grapes that are grown in humid environments usually have more resveratrol than grapes grown in drier climates. The theory behind this is that grapes in humid environments need more resveratrol to survive, since they are more susceptible to damaging fungus than grapes found in more arid climates.
Types
Resveratrol is found in its natural form in berries and wine, but is also available as a dietary supplement made from red wine, grape seed and Japanese knotwood extracts. Since many supplements are created in different ways, the amount of resveratrol and the purity of the substance can vary greatly from supplement to supplement. Micronized resveratrol is created through a process that makes the particles of resveratrol smaller to increase absorption in the body. This type of resveratrol can be found in pill or powder form. You can also purchase resveratrol patches or solutions.
How It Works
Resveratrol prevents cell damage caused by free radials and helps protect the cell's DNA. Johan Auwerx and colleagues at the Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology in Illkirch, France, found that large doses of resveratrol protected mice from weight gain and developing diabetes. Auwerx says this is due to the increased number of mitochondria he found in the muscle cells of the mice. Since mitochondria are the organelles in the cells of the body that generate energy, having more mitochondria leads to more energy generation. The mice treated with resveratrol were able to burn more fat and avoid weight gain because they had more energy. Auwerx said the mice also had a decreased sensitivity to insulin and they developed the type of muscle found in trained human athletes.
Benefits
Resveratrol has many benefits, including lowering cholesterol, which helps protect the heart and circulatory system, inhibits the aggregation of blood platelets to lessen the chance of clots, lowers blood sugars, assists in skin health, boosts energy levels and reduces the incidence of several forms of cancer. Resveratrol is also known to help with memory and is use to treat Alzheimer's disease. It slows down the aging of cells and molecules to increase longevity and reduces inflammation in joints. A study performed by J.A. Baur and colleagues at the Department of Pathology at Harvard Medical School found resveratrol to extend the lifespan of several species of mice. The antioxidant shifted the physiology of the mice on a high-calorie diet toward that of mice on a standard diet, increasing their life span. Dr. James Smoliga, an assistant professor of exercise physiology at Marywood University, says resveratrol appears to activate enzymes that help muscles use oxygen more efficiently, which helps you increase your endurance. Smoliga and some of his clients take the resveratrol supplement and all have noticed an increase in their stamina and the ability to work out harder for longer periods of time.
Warning
Always check with your doctor before starting a new weight loss program or starting a new supplement. It is important to make sure the supplement will not interfere or react with any other drugs you may currently be taking. You should be under a physician's watch if you decide to take resveratrol and have a blood disorder. You should not take resveratrol two weeks before any surgeries, and should not take it if you are pregnant or breast feeding. Women who are estrogen sensitive should avoid resveratrol since it has a mild estrogenic activity.
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