Resveratrol for heart health Posted: 05-13-08 12:04pm
Resveratrol - Resveratrol as a substitute
of Aspirin for Heart Health
Resveratrol, an antioxidant,
anti-inflammatory substance created by a
variety of plants, starting from vines to
peanuts and pine trees. Resveratrol has
been used in Asian medicine for hundreds
of years, especially in liver and heart
problem treatments. Resveratrol helps
lower cholesterol, and is as much as 10 to
20 times more potent than vitamin E in
protecting against LDL oxidation. Further
studies of resveratrol revealed that it
helps prevent blood clots by keeping blood
vessels open and pliable.
Source of Resveratrol
Resveratrol is found in the stems, leaves,
and skins of grapes. Although a glass or
two of red wine each day may lower the
risk of heart disease, one recent study
shows that alcohol-free red wine works
just as well. Resveratrol is also present
in purple grape juice, red or purple
grapes, and peanuts. However, because of
the fermenting process, resveratrol levels
are higher in red wine than other natural
sources red wine has about three times as
much resveratrol as grape juice.
Resveratrol Benefits
Today resveratrol is being considered one
of the main beneficial elements found in
red wine. Studies have shown that red
wine, especially resveratrol, can help
prevent colds, increase the levels of HDL
(good) cholesterol, lower the risk of
Alzheimer's, reduce the size and number of
fat cells in the body, reduce the risk of
prostate cancer, and has anti-inflammatory
properties to boot.
Resveratrol and Hearth Health
Resveratrol is known to have antioxidant,
anti-inflammatory, antifungal,
antimutagenic, anticancer,
neuroprotective, and antiaging properties.
As a bonus, it may also beat aspirin at
its own game in terms of cardiovascular
protection. Resveratrol protect heart
health by limiting the effects of cardiac
fibrosis, a hardening of the heart tissue,
finds new animal research. However
research showing that resveratrol has a
major impact on heart health could see
increasing interest in its use as a
supplement.
Resveratrol and Women's Health
Some studies in women regarding the
consumption of alcohol and risk of breast
cancer found an increase of this type of
cancer in women who consume at least one
drink daily. According to a report by the
American Cancer Society in 2004 there was
an increase of 30% in the death rate from
breast cancer in women who would drink
alcohol daily. This confounding
information aside consumption of one or
two drinks per day is associated with a
reduction in risk of approximately 30 to
50 percent in coronary heart disease.
Heart disease being the overwhelming
number one killer of woman annually makes
it the major target. So wine consumption
has an overall positive effect on death
rates in the female population.
Resveratrol and Cancer
One of the other aspects that recommend
resveratrol as a good anti cancer agent is
the fact that it combats linoleic acid.
The acid, found in most western diets,
transforms to hormone like substances that
stimulate cancer growth. Resveratrol
enhances the ability of the vitamin D to
inhibit the fast rate growth of cancer
cells, thus stopping the spread of the
disease.
Resveratrol remains a new ingredient to
the supplement industry and is not
currently supplied by European grape
products companies. There are some
resveratrol supplements available in the
US although European industry remains wary
over its regulatory status. Resveratrol
supplements are also now available, and
are usually combined with grape extracts
or other antioxidants. To get the health
benefits of red wine without the negative
impact of alcohol, you can purchase
resveratrol and mixed red wine polyphenols
in capsules. One capsule of red wine
polyphenols is approximately equal to the
polyphenol content of one bottle of wine.
