If red wine's good, are resveratrol pills even better?

Los Angeles Times ^ | 7/12/2009 | Melissa Healy

[SeekAndFind]

In August 2003, when scientists first revealed the life-extending powers of trans-3,4,'5-trihydroxystilbene-- also known as resveratrol -- its earthly form had all the allure of an apple in the garden of Eden.

Ruby red, delicately fragrant, shapely in a rounded nest of glass, red wine can deliver as much as 1.5 milligrams of the plant compound resveratrol per four-ounce serving. At concentrations present in a person's blood after two glasses of red wine, resveratrol has been found to suppress the formation of blood clots and boost the efficiency of immune system cells.

Much larger doses of resveratrol increase the life span of yeast, flies, fish and roundworms, studies have shown. A feeding regimen that includes good stuff found in red wine makes obese mice just as healthy, spry and long-lived as those who have been raised on near-starvation diets.

So leave it to American entrepreneurs to gin up a thriving market for resveratrol supplement rather than urge consumers to enjoy the food -- or in this case, savor the drink -- linked to better health and longer life, says Dr. Gerald Weissmann, director of New York University's biotechnology study center.

In the blinking come-ons of some resveratrol pitches and in the subtext and testimonials of others, remarkable claims for resveratrol supplements abound: They will forestall or prevent such age-related scourges as cancer, diabetes, arthritis and Alzheimer's disease; they will restore vitality, endurance and strength to the middle aged and older; they will make aging brains sharper and more agile.

But the business of selling the supplement touted as an "anti-aging miracle" rests on a foundation of science that is as unstable and incomplete as it is promising. In fact, the marketing frenzy surrounding resveratrol is a prime example of how science can be distorted when it is mingled with hope,

[mysterio]

Depends on how you define “better.”

[Balata]

Some manufactures are putting resveratrol in chocolate now.

[TribalPrincess2U]

Will blueberries and dark red cherries do as well?

[xkaydet65]

I’d rather drink a good montepulciano of Long Island merlot.

[xkaydet65]

of should be or. Sorry

[Marie Antoinette]

I like some liquid resveratrol. Very tasty.

[Big Giant Head]

I like the way resveratrol just smoothly rolls off the tongue. It is so romantic.

;-)

[Cicero]

Well, the article suggests that resveratrol has been found to be beneficial in small amounts, and does not provide any evidence that it is harmful, except when “very high doses” are fed to mice—far higher than any products currently on the market. I would suspect ridiculously high. Anything can be bad for you if taken in hugely excessive amounts.

I’m not competent to give any medical advice, but using the supplement in moderation, if you don’t regularlty drink red wine, seems to make sense. I personally take one capsule a day, containing 37 mg of resveratrol plus grape seed and red wine extracts. Maybe it’s a mistake, but I think I’ll continue unless there is evidence to the contrary.

I get the stuff from VitaCost online, and it’s only $15 for 120 capsules, about a four months’ supply. I don’t mean to recommend this to anyone else. Everyone should do their own due diligence and/or consult their doctor.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Whoever named it must have had too many glasses of Merlot. It should have been named “reversatrol” for reversing aging, not “resveratrol.” Reversatrol is simpler and much plainer.

[Cyropaedia]

Here's the red wine that supposedly has the most resveratrol of any on the market : Williamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir (Cluster).

Not saying that it's the best tasting.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

BUMP!

[Rockingham]

Longevinex has a good resveratrol product and has a website that excerpts the scientific research.

http://www.longevinex.com/

[GovernmentShrinker]

the supplement touted as an "anti-aging miracle" rests on a foundation of science that is as unstable and incomplete as it is promising.

The leading researchers on resveratrol are taking it themselves (and at least one has said he has his elderly mother on it too). That's good enough for me.

[silverleaf]

I ordered resveratrol and some other home remedies after reading this article about herbal and natural defense against flu. Note the last paragraph.

http://www.med-owl.com/health/H5N1-Virus-Therapy.html

[Peace Is Coming]

bttt

[Mount Athos]

that’s interesting.

I appreciate that they specifically addressed cytokine storm.

[danamco]

I’m not competent to give any medical advice, but using the supplement in moderation, if you don’t regularlty drink red wine, seems to make sense. I personally take one capsule a day, containing 37 mg of resveratrol plus grape seed and red wine extracts. Maybe it’s a mistake, but I think I’ll continue unless there is evidence to the contrary.

Chances are that your nutrient absorption rate is max 15 to 20% taking between 45 minutes to a couple of hours and wasting 80% of your money.

If you take it in an Isotonix form your absorption rate is 90 to 95% within 10 to 15 minutes on an empty stomach!!!

[FreepShop1]

Pills are not better. You cannot properly duplicate in synthesized elements the delivery mechanisms inherent in natural substances. The combination of enzymes and amino acids in red wine aid in proper absorption of resveratrol. the same goes for Acai and blueberries, among others.