Treatments - Resveratrol
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What is Resveratrol?


For almost 200 years, scientists have suspected that wine consumption had something to do with "The French Paradox " - the fact that 50% more Frenchmen live to 100 than America and other countries, despite a rich, high fat diet. But only in the last few years has the explanation become clear. The large quantities of wine consumed in France contain over 500 beneficial polyphenols, and two of these (Resveratrol and Quercetin) have been shown to slow down the aging process and help prevent age-related diseases including heart disease, cancer, alzheimers, diabetes, and others.

Longevity

Can naturally found ingredients from plants and red-wine grapes actually hold the key to a long life, and a long healthy life? Research studies conducted over the past decade point to the overriding conclusion - yes! Scientific experiments on a variety of organisms including yeast, worms, flies, rodents, and fish point to an increase in longevity from 10 - 60% when given plant molecules and compounds including Resveratrol and many other plant and red-wine polyphenols.

How is this possible? Scientists discovered in the 1930s that calorie restriction indeed extends lifespan by putting the organisms into "survival mode". But living on a near-starvation diet is impractical, if not dangerous, for humans.

Equally important, tests on obese (fat) mice and other animals found that although they would normally die young from a variety of diseases, the consumption of polyphenols compounds allowed them to live just as long as "normal" mice.

Over the past decade, new scientific studies have pinpointed the pathway to the activation of the SIRT genes and enzymes. Scientists then asked themselves - is there any other way to activate SIRT genes other than calorie restriction?

The key to this puzzle was discovered by Dr. David Sinclair and Dr. Joseph Baur at Harvard Medical School in 2006. In their seminal paper published in Nature Magazine, these research scientists found that they could indeed activate the SIRT genes by giving organisms Xenohometic (stressed plant) compounds. The scientists tested 1,000s of compounds and found 19 plant polyphenols that provide the most significant effects.

 

Cardio Protection

Coronary artery disease, or hardening of the arteries, is the primary cause of heart attacks.

It has been well established that elevated cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, smoking, obesity, and lack of exercise are all major factors associated with heart attacks. However, they only are present in about half of all fatal heart attacks.

In the 1990s, scientists beyond just blocking of the arteries, and considered the lining of the vessels themselves - or endothelium. Among its functions are regulating immune reactions, regulating inflammation, the ability of blood vessels to contract or widen, clotting, etc. As scientists continue to study heart attacks, the core of the problem seems to lie with the endothelium.

Many components can damage the arteries including glucose/sugar, trans-fats, LDL cholesterol, free radicals, and cytokines (regulators of inflammation). There are five (5) basic stages leading to heart attack. Understanding how polyphenols and Resveratrol aids in the prevention of heart disease requires an understanding of these stages.

  1. Accumulation and oxidation of fat by free radicals
  2. Inflammation within blood vessels
  3. Decreased vascular elasticity of blood vessels
  4. Increased clotting
  5. Damage or death of the heart muscle itself
Resveratrol and red-wine grape polyphenols attack these problems in many ways.                                                
  1. They are a powerful anti-oxidant which reduce free radicals. Studies have also shown that polyphenols bind to LDL cholesterol, protecting them from peroxidation.
  2. Many scientific studies indicate that Resveratrol, Quercetin and other polyphenols act as potent anti-inflammatory agents.
  3. Polyphenols and Resveratrol have been shown to increase the production of nitric oxide, which promotes relaxation and constriction of the arterial smooth muscle, and allows the arteries to dilate in times of need.
  4. When the body senses and injury, it sends platelets to the injured area to form protective clots. These platelets can pile up and cut off blood flow, leading to death of heart muscles. Several scientific studieshave shown that Resveratrol reduces platelet aggregation.
  5. Scientists have found that when a particular enzyme (PARP) is overactivated, it can result in heart cell death. In 2006, Dr. Pillai from the University of Chicago discovered that the activation of SIRT genes by Resveratrol and other polyphenols, indeed protected the heart cells against PARP-activated cell death.

A study by Dr. Wallace at the University of Alberta in Canada evaluated the ability of red wine extract to decrease the electrical irritability of heart muscle cells. He concluded that both Resveratrol and Quercetin could significantly inhibit abnormal electrical flow through a heart muscle cell.

 

Neuro Protection

Over the past 20 years, Alzheimer's disease has come to be regarded as one of the most feared diseases of aging, particularly as baby-boomers and their parents have begun to live to advanced ages.

Surely, complete prevention of Alzheimer’s would be nirvana, but even delaying the onset or reducing the severity of the disease would be life-changing for millions of people. As with other age-related diseases, the message of Alzheimer’s is clear - it is not enough to live longer, we want to live longer healthier.

For the past decade there has been considerable evidence that Alzheimer’s is also a chronic, inflammatory process in the brain. This naturally suggests that using anti-inflammatories, of which Resveratrol and polyphenols are included, may aid in the mitigation of Alzheimer's.


In 2006, Thimmappa Anekonda from the Neurological Science Institute at Oregon Health and Science University published an article entitled "Resveratrol - a Boon for Treating Alzheimer's Disease?" In the paper, he summarized that SIRT-activating compounds like Resveratrol are potent agents for neuroprotection against Alzheimer's and stroke, focusing on Resveratrol's ability to reduce damage to cell mitochondria.

It is also believed that the accumulation of free radicals may activate beta-secretase, resultingin formation of the amyloid-beta, which is both toxic and inflammatory. Resveratrol, Quercetin and red-wine grape polyphenols are powerful anti-oxidants which as we know, serve to dramatically reduce free radicals. In particular, these compounds are 10 - 100x the strength of anti-oxidants found in foods such as grape juice, pomegranate juice, etc.

Scientists have shown that Resveratrol and other plant polyphenols may block the production of free radicals. In one study, when nutrients containing Resveratrol and Quercetin were introduced, they reduced the production of free radicals, protected cells from free radical damage, and prevented cellular DNA damage.

In 2008, Dr. Lenny Guarente at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, presented a study on Huntington's disease, a neurodegenerative condition associated with premature mental aging. He showed that mice lived longer and had less disease in the brain when SIRT levels were increased. Other investigators have found neuroprotective effects in animals with Lou Gehrig's disease.

These and other studies strongly implicate SIRT genes and enzymes in nerve protection and show that plant polyphenols can elevate SIRT production in the human brain.

 

Blood Sugar and Insulin

Diabetes is a disease of sugar and fat metabolism caused by problems with insulin secretion by the pancreas, or with insulin sensitivity of the cells. Type I diabetes usually inflicts children and young adults, as the body’s immune system destroys the insulin-secreting cells in the pancreas. Type II, or adult-onset diabetes, begins when cells do not use insulin properly, and the pancreas attempts to generate more insulin and gradually loses the ability to do so.

If Americans reduced their intake of refined sugar and regularly exercised, it would cut the incidence of diabetes in the U.S. in half. Unfortunately, just the opposite is occurring. In the last 25 years, the number of newly diagnosed adults with diabetes has almost tripled to 1.4 million.

What then are the effects on diabetes from Resveratrol, Quercetin, and plant polyphenols? Scientists have shown that through their ability to decrease insulin resistance, enhance glucose’s ability to enter the cells, and weight stabilization, these polyphenols provide a complementary way to combat the disease.

In 1985, C.S. Hii and S.L. Howel, from the University of Adelaide in Australia, discovered that 2 polyphenols in Red-wine and grape juice ( &epicatechin) enhanced insulin release in rats by 44 - 70%.

In 2003, Dr. MahmoodVessal at Shiraz University in Iran showed that regenerated pancreatic cells and increased insulin release in diabetic rats. In 2004,scientists at the University of Montpellier in France used healthy animals to confirm that reduced blood sugar and decreased appetite.

In 2005, Edward Park at Canada’s Brock University discovered that can counter the effects of elevated free fatty acids, allowing the normal uptake of insulin.

In 2005, a study in Chile showed that , and several other polyphenols found in grape skins, also slowed sugar absorption in the intestines. appears to be effective in reducing the high spike in insulin that occurs when sugary food is eaten. In addition, is also a potent inhibitor of sugars in the intestine.

In 2006, Hui-Chen Sui in Taiwan showed that stimulated the uptake of glucose by liver, fat and muscle cells.

These studies on and the mechanisms of glucose, insulin, and fat metabolism, are supported by the work of Dr. David Sinclair and Dr. Joseph Baur of Harvard University from 2006 to the present.

Weight Control

Much research is in progress on the potential weight control properties of Resveratrol. Resveratrol has been shown to reduce the number of fat cells in laboratory mice in several studies. Researchers at the University of Ulm investigated whether Resveratrol could duplicate the effects of caloric restriction in human fat cells by altering their function or size. Other studies had previously demonstrated that Resveratrol inhibited lab mice, fed high calorie diets, from becoming obese by matching the effects of caloric restriction.

The Ulm findings were presented at The Endocrine Society's annual meeting in 2008. In their tests they saw that Resveratrol hindered pre-fat cells from increasing and from changing into mature fat cells. Resveratrol was also found to inhibit fat storage. The most intriguing discoveries were firstly, that Resveratrol decreased the creation of specific cytokines that may be linked to obesity connected disorders like diabetes, and secondly, Resveratrol activated the production of a protein called adiponectin which is known to reduce the risk of heart attacks and is decreased by the onset of obesity.

In summary, the researchers from Germany concluded that Resveratrol holds promise in the treatment of obesity and obesity related disorders such as diabetes and clogged heart arteries.

In other studies, Resveratrol has been shown to increase metabolic activity, which can go a long way towards losing weight, and maintaining a healthy weight. Resveratrol activates the SIRT genes. When they are activated, weight gain seems to be prevented, even when a high fat diet is being consumed, by inhibiting fat storage. When the body is storing fewer fat cells, the aging process can also be slowed by reducing age and obesity related conditions and diseases.

 

Vinomis Extract™

Each Vindure 900 tablet contains 400mg of Vinomis Red Wine Grape Extract, in addition to pure Resveratrol and Quercetin. It has all the benefits of drinking 1-3 glasses of red wine (depending on the variety), without the alcohol or its calories. Vinomis extract is made from selected Bordeaux grapes, in Bordeaux, France. The sugars and tannins are removed through a proprietary process, and the resulting extract contains over 90% polyphenols.

The abundance and diversity of polyphenols found in whole grapes make it a high antioxidant fruit. This antioxidant power is one of the keys to the grape's numerous health benefits which are widely discussed in medical literature. References to some of these can be found by clicking here.

Clinical studies have shown that 400mg per day of Vinomis grape extract has the following effects:

  • Muscle protection, including reduction in the risk of cramping, muscle damage reducion, and inflammation risk reduction.
  • Hemoglobin protection, including better muscle cell oxygenation
  • Antioxidant protection, including reduction of plasmatic and urinary markers of oxidative stress, regeneration of protective constituents of the body, and increase in plasmatic antioxidant capacity.

These effects can result in improved performance and faster recovery in many activities, through a 9-10% measured increase in plasma ORAC value, that is, the antioxdants that reach the blood.

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