By increasing blood flow, resveratrol may protect not only the heart and arteries, but also the brain. Studies in the United Kingdom suggest that resveratrol may help prevent or reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease. [Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition].
A study by the University of South Florida suggests that resveratrol may not only prevent, but might even reverse the dangerous build-up of fat in the liver caused by alcohol abuse. According to a study published in "Molecular Vision" in 2010, resveratrol may prevent the formation of cataract, and is an effective therapeutic agent in neurodgenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis.
Although resveratrol does not lower cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar or promotes weight loss, resveratrol's blood thinning properties may protect you from these conditions, by preventing heart attacks and strokes.
Pure resveratrol refers to a product that contains only pure trans-resveratrol, the beneficial substance in resveratrol.
Various studies by both the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and Harvard University in Boston, have found that a calorie restriction diet (CR) improves health and slows the aging process in animals and humans due to limiting dietary intake.
Previous research has confirmed that calorie restriction combined with exercise may increase maximum lifespan and protect against many chronic diseases including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer.
According to a Harvard University study, resveratrol has similar effects to a calorie restriction (CR) diet and may be used as a substitute to supplement a low calorie diet and exercise regimen. The implication of this is that while on a resveratrol regimen, an over weight individual, without losing weight, may be considered as a "healthy obese" person. According to the study, mice that were fed a high fat diet along with resveratrol performed better on a treadmill and lived longer than the thin mice that were fed a low calorie/low fat diet and no resveratrol. [Source: Harvard University Gazette/ Harvard medical school].
When it comes to maintaining optimal health, resveratrol may offer even better protection than taking aspirin. It is generally believed that high cholesterol is the main cause of heart disease. However, based on thousands of heart surgeries, many cardiologists believe that a large number of heart attacks are not necessarily caused by high cholesterol, but rather, they are the result of inflammation. Different foods may cause different levels of inflammation in our body, and even one "bad" meal can cause an instant heart attack.
Another factor to consider is not necessarily the total cholesterol count but rather the particle size. According to a recent report by Johns Hopkins University, the new way of measuring risks of heart disease and strokes is done by NMR LipoProfile test, which measures the particle size of LDL cholesterol.
Resveratrol's blood thinning and anti-inflammatory properties may prevent blood clotting and increase blood flow, both of which may decrease or even prevent heart attacks and strokes. One way to improve athletic endurance is through exercise. According to Johan Auwerx, from the Institute of Genetics, Molecular and Cell Biology in Illkirch, France, "Resveratrol boosts muscle endurance by increasing the energy-producing components within muscle cells". Auwerx says that "high-doses of trans-resveratrol are needed to trigger the pathway that gives cells more mitochondria. He goes on to say that, "at very low doses you don't activate the cell machinery to burn energy," thereby discounting the belief that, "one glass of wine might improve athletic prowess". The effects of resveratrol are so pronounced that endurance athletes may one day take it as a performance enhancer.
Trans-resveratrol in sufficient dosage improves athletic performance and benefits everyone by making any physical activity much easier. For example, individuals who have difficulty walking up flights of stairs are able to do so with much less effort when they take resveratrol.
