There has been a lot of focus on resveratrol and its promising health benefits recently and following widely publicized television coverage, a huge increase in demand for the product but lets take a look at what resveratrol really is and why there is such interest.
Resveratrol is a substance produced by some plants when they are threatened by infection from a fungus or bacteria. It is anti-microbial, helping to fight infection by acting as a defender against attacking bacterial or fungal cells. Resveratrol exists in two forms, the cis type and the trans type, the trans type being the one which shows great promise as a health supplement.
Our natural resveratrol sources are varied, it is present in the skins of red wine grapes and the wine made from them, it can also be found in peanuts, cranberries and several other foods. Its presence in red wine varies a lot with the grape variety and where it was grown. Many folk believe it is an explanation for the ‘French Paradox ’, the seeming ability of some cultures to consume seemingly unhealthy diets without all the ill effects.
Experiments on laboratory animals have shown several health benefits. In a famous experiment, mice given a high fat diet and resveratrol supplements had a much lower risk of death than those given the high fat diet without supplementation.
The mice in that experiment had fairly normal levels of blood sugars and insulin though their cholesterol levels were still elevated. Interestingly the life extending properties seen in mice appear to have been most evident in elderly mice rather than in mice given resveratrol supplements from an earlier age.
Life extending properties were also shown when an Italian team of scientists conducting experiments on fish found that resveratrol could extend their lifespan considerably. This was the first demonstration in such a vertebrate, previous experiments having been on fruit flies and worms.
Resveratrol shows great promise in the fight against some cancers. Experiments with mice and other animals show success with skin cancers and test tube experiments show resveratrol fights other cancers such as colon and breast cancer.
One challenge scientists face is that of figuring out a reliable method of getting the right dose of resveratrol actively fighting cancer effectively. This challenge arises because resveratrol needs to be preserved for long enough in the body to reach the bloodstream without being broken down.  One possibility is that of taking resveratrol in such way as allows it to be absorbed from the mouth directly into the bloodstream. Various ways of taking resveratrol are being considered from mouthwashes to lozenges and even gum.
For more info on resveratrol and its health benefits, check out this article info on resveratrol and if purchasing resveratrol be aware there are many products on the market not all of them equal. Get yours from a reputable supplier.

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