Does Resveratrol Work? Does it really delay ageing? Well, researchers at Harvard University and institutions around the world have discovered that resveratrol can prolong the lifespan of organisms such as mice, fish, and yeast. A study published in 2006 determined that resveratrol decreased the risk of death in mice by 31%. Other studies have shown that yeast treated with resveratrol lived 60% longer, and flies and worms nearly 30% longer. Fish that were fed resveratrol had their lifespan extended by almost 60%: the equivalent of a human living to be 194 years old.
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Before connecting grapes to longevity, Sinclair had observed a related phenomenon that also prolonged the lifespan: severe calorie restriction. Feeding mice nutritious diets with 30% fewer calories made them live 30 to 50% longer. However, the low calorie diet is about 60 to 70% of what is recommended for a healthy diet in humans, so physicians generally do not recommend it. Drastic calorie restriction lengthens life by stressing the body. This stress signals a group of genes in the body to produce certain enzymes. These so-called “SIR2 genes” generate enzymes called sirtuins, which switch on defenses that protect all the cells in the body. And while the low-calorie studies have been done on yeast, worms and mice, people have these same SIR2 genes that extend longevity for lower life forms. Here is where resveratrol comes in and does wonders. Resveratrol activates the SIR2 longevity genes just like calorie restriction, but without the need for food deprivation. Evidence supporting the effects of resveratrol can be found by examining the benefits of red wine, a food with one of the highest levels of resveratrol. The French, with their long tradition of consuming red wine, eat a diet high in saturated fat but have a very low rate of heart disease. Frequent consumption of red wine may also explain why so many Italians in Sardinia live to be 100. And, the world record for longevity belongs to Jeanne Calment, a daily red wine drinker who lived 122 years.
Getting resveratrol Wine consumption has its downsides. To get the required daily dose of resveratrol from wine would be expensive, and resveratrol levels vary greatly from year to year at the same vineyard. Also, long-term alcohol use can damage the liver and nervous system, as well as lead to addiction. So how do you get enough of the good effects of resveratrol without the bad effects of alcohol? This can be achieved via highly concentrated resveratrol supplements, something that provides 250 mg of resveratrol per serving. This is the equivalent to 100 bottles of red wine. Supplements like this are derived from two all natural plant sources of resveratrol, grape skin and polygonum cuspidatum. So if you’re serious about the longevity of your health, consider replacing that glass of wine with concentrated resveratrol supplements!
