Contrary to what you may have been led to believe by 60 Minutes, CNN and Dr. Oz Resveratrol is NOT for everyone…
The first thing that many of us ever heard about Resveratrol is that it's the special natural ingredient that makes red wine "healthy". It turns out that was just marketing BS, it's really not very health because red wine is high in toxins that do a lot more bad than the minimal Resveratrol content does good.
Pro
- Resvertrol supports your sirtuins, which allow for your genes to turn off, one of the causes of aging is that genes that get left on. It's kind like if you left the lights on in your house all the time you're going to waste electricity. Sirtuins turn off those lights.
- It acutely increases insulin sensitivity, so it's a good idea if you're at risk for diabetes.
- It's a veritable heart health hack, it improves blood flow, it reduces blood pressure, and it's cardioprotective.
- 500 milligrams increases cerebral blood flow, so it's kind of a Nootropic at a high dosage. Although, the study didn't not much of an effect on cognition.
- An animal study indicated it maybe helpful to Alzheimer's.
Con
- Resveratrol blunts the positive effects of exercise training on cardiovascular health in aged men according to a double blind, placebo controlled dutch study of 27 men whereas exercise training effectively improves several cardiovascular health parameters in aged men, concomitant resveratrol supplementation can blunt these effects.
- Another 2014 study of 16 younger adult males found a similiar negative effect on gains after HIT aerobic exercise.
- It's not a true longevity promoter but it promotes health. According to Examine.com it Does not add years to life, but may add life to years.
In conclusion, as I perused the Resvertrol research and watched interviews with the researchers, what I kept hearing was the the same anti-aging benefits of Resvertrol could be accomplished by calorie restriction, not eating a lot or fasting.
Trans-Resveratrol?We call it Trans-Resveratrol because this supplement actually started it's life as something else other the Resveratrol but then it attended a liberal arts college, went through a rebellious phase, dyed it's hair a wierd color and decided to identify as a Resveratrol.
Just kidding! That's a really terrible joke... Trans-Resveratrol is just the name for Resveratrol in supplement form.
Resveratrol and PterostilbeneWe've all heard that antioxidants like Resveratrol are good for us but do you know why specifically?
The transhumanist Aubrey De Grey is famous for saying that...
Breathing is bad for us!
Which may sound absurd but it's actually quite true, just like iron rusts or bread goes bad when left out because of oxidation, our internal organs are oxidized over time. This is why antioxidants like Resveratrol and Pterostilbene are crucial anti-aging supplements.
- Resveratrol improves mitochondrial function particularly when combined with the cofactors CoQ10, Alpha-Lipoic Acid and Grape Seed Extract.
- From a 2010 Polish study evaluating the synergistic effects of trans-resveratrol and pterostilbene: At higher concentrations, an additive effect was observed. These protective effects may partially explain the health benefit of these bioactive microcomponents when together in the diet.
- An American 2007 study found that it promotes a healthy, balanced system especially when taken with Grape Seed Extract.
- The antioxidants have some chemopreventative and chemotherapeutic, inducing apoptosis, which is when old cells naturally die off. It's also chemopreventative and chemotherapeutic.
Resveratrol is one of the few anti-aging health supplements that's entered the mainstream and has become a household name thanks to clever lobbying on behalf of the red wine industry. Unfortunately to get an effective dose of Resveratrol 150 - 300 milligrams, you would need to drink about 40 glasses of red wine! Which is about ten times more wine than I would drink, even if I was celebrating something major!
Articles specifically on Trans-Resveratrol and Pterostilbene: 20
CofactorsResvertrol has a few notable cofactors;
Grape Seed Extract; becomes a much more potent anti-cancer agent combined with Resvertrol. To qoute a 2011 study from my home state Colorado
RSV-GSE combination suppressed proliferation and induced apoptosis even in the presence of mitogenic growth factor IGF-1, suggesting the importance of understanding the potentiating effects of phytonutrients in combination as they would occur in nature rather than individually.
Melatonin; combined with very low doses has the same positive effects on heart health and some beneficial anti-cancer effects.
Side EffectsThe risk with this one is virtually none-existent. They did studies with people taking as much as 5 grams with no adverse effects.