Resveratrol is a fat-soluble chemical found in grapes, red wine, peanuts and certain berries. When red wine was discovered to contain resveratrol in 1992, some scientists speculated that it might be the key to explaining the low level of heart disease found in the French population, despite the fact that French diets commonly include high levels of saturated fat. Since that time, researchers have been attempting to uncover the health benefits of resveratrol.
Function
Resveratrol is a polyphenolic compound present in high levels in the skin and seeds of grapes. Polyphenolic compounds have potent antioxidant properties, meaning they clean up dangerous molecules called free radicals and prevent them from damaging the cells in your body. Grapes and certain other plants produce resveratrol when they are under stressful conditions, such as infection by fungi, physical damage or exposure to radiation. Due to these antioxidant properties, researchers suspect that concentrated resveratrol supplements may have health benefits for humans.
Cancer Prevention
Resveratrol has promising anti-cancer properties. In laboratory animals, treatment with resveratrol prevented the growth of several types of cancers, including breast and throat cancer. Resveratrol affects cancer cells in many different ways, including slowing the growth of cancer cells and triggering cancer cells to self-destruct, explains the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. Resveratrol also helps to prevent healthy cells that are damaged from turning into cancer cells. However, additional research is needed to determine if resveratrol is actually able to reduce the risk of cancer in humans.
Heart Disease
Although moderate consumption of red wine is linked to a decrease in heart disease, researchers are not yet sure that this beneficial effect is caused by resveratrol. What is clear is that resveratrol displays many properties that may be beneficial for cardiovascular health. Resveratrol appears to have a mild blood-thinning effect, which can reduce the risk of heart disease. Resveratrol can also improve blood flow through blood vessels by causing them to relax. However, there is not yet any direct evidence indicating that resveratrol reduces heart disease in humans.
Longevity
A great deal of media attention and interest has focused on the ability of resveratrol to prolong life. In worms, flies and mice, treatment with resveratrol tends to extend the life spans of these animals. Additionally, in mice fed a high-calorie diet, treatment with resveratrol caused the mice to live as long as mice fed a healthy diet, reports the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. No studies have yet examined the effect of resveratrol on human life span, and there is no guarantee it will affect humans the same way it does mice and other animals. Additional research is needed to clearly define the health benefits of resveratrol.
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