Resveratrol, a potent antioxidant found in a number of plants, including red grape

skins, pomegranate, raw cacao, peanuts, and berries like raspberries and
mulberries, is known to have a number of beneficial health effects.
The compound is produced by plants to increase their survival and resistance to
disease during times of stress, such as excessive ultraviolet light, infections and
climate changes. When you consume these plants, you can reap similar
protection.
Resveratrols antioxidant anti-inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic properties
have been well-established by science, and its benefits are thought to extend to
the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases such as cancer and Alzheimers
disease, among others.
It belongs to a family of compounds known as polyphenols, which are known to
combat damaging free radicals, which is likely why life extension in general is
also on its list of health benefits.
Resveratrol is found in abundance in red wine, and it's highly soluble in alcohol,
which means your body may absorb more of it from red wine than from other
sources. I do not, however, suggest drinking large amounts of red wine, as
alcohol in and of itself is a neurotoxin.
Whole foods, such as muscadine grapes, for example, are a better choice.
Muscadine grapes have the highest concentration of resveratrol in nature
because of their extra thick skins and numerous seeds where it is concentrated.
Other whole food sources include cocoa, dark chocolate and peanuts, but it may
be difficult to get a therapeutic dose, especially since these are all foods I
recommend you eat only in moderation. Another option is to take a resveratrol
supplement. In this case, be sure to look for one made from a whole food
complex that includes muscadine grape skin and seeds.

Resveratrol Shows Promise in Treatment of Cancer

Research has shown that resveratrol has the ability to deeply penetrate the
center of a cell's nucleus, allowing the DNA to repair free radical damage that
might otherwise contribute to cancerous growth.
Further, resveratrol's anti-inflammatory properties help prevent certain enzymes
from forming that trigger tumor development. It also helps cut down cell
reproduction, which helps reduce the number of cell divisions that could
contribute to the progression of cancer cell growth.

Besides playing a role in the prevention of cancer, studies have also found that
resveratrol can serve important functions in conjunction with conventional cancer
therapies, as it acts as a:

Chemo-sensitizera substance that can help you overcome resistance to

chemotherapy drugs

Radiation-sensitizer; making cancer cells more susceptible to radiation

treatment

The latter was recently shown in a study conducted at the University of Missouri,
in which melanoma cells became more susceptible to radiation when treated with
resveratrol prior to the radiation treatment. When treated with resveratrol alone,
44 percent of the cancer cells underwent apoptosis, or cell death.
1

This, by itself, is worthy of note. When a combination treatment was applied,

using radiation on melanoma cells pretreated with resveratrol, apoptosis of tumor
cells increased to 65 percent. While promising, the researchers noted its still
going to take some time before an effective treatment can be produced.
According to co-author Dr. Michael Nicholl, MD.
"Because of difficulties involved in delivery of adequate amounts of resveratrol to
melanoma tumors, the compound is probably not an effective treatment for
advanced melanoma at this time.

Several Cancers Appear Susceptible to Resveratrols Beneficial

Influence
The first evidence of resveratrols anti-cancer effects was published in 1997. The
findings received great interest from cancer researchers, and many studies have
been devoted to this potent antioxidant since then. In particular, its ability to
render cancerous tumors more vulnerable to chemotherapy and radiotherapy
makes resveratrol a unique and potentially useful addition to conventional
cancer therapy.
Researchers are always on the lookout for effective chemo-sensitizers that can
help overcome such resistance, and resveratrol has been shown to do just that.
3

In a 2011 review of dietary agents that sensitize tumors, making them more
susceptible to the treatment with chemotherapy drugs, resveratrol was featured
as a clear candidate, courtesy of its multi-targeting properties. So far, cancers
shown to respond favorably include:
4

Lung carcinoma

Acute myeloid and

promyelocytic leukemia

Multiple myeloma

Prostate cancer

Oral epidermoid carcinoma

Pancreatic cancer

In another study published that same year, resveratrol was also found to help
alleviate many of the debilitating side effects associated with conventional cancer
treatments, including those listed below. According to the authors, mounting
evidence indicates that these symptoms are primarily caused by dysregulation of
inammatory pathways in your body, which may explain resveratrols efficacy.
5

Cachexia (wasting syndrome)

Anorexia

Fatigue

Depression

Neuropathic pain

Anxiety

Cognitive impairment

Sleep disorders

Delirium (acute confusion)

Resveratrol: A Powerhouse of Health Benefits

Resveratrol is often referred to as the fountain of youth due to its wide-ranging
health benefits. GreenMedInfo.com lists no less than 590 scientific studies
showing the beneficial effect of resveratrol for 342 different diseases. In addition
to its anti-cancer properties, resveratrol has been shown to reverse oxidative
stress, reduce inflammation, normalize your lipids, protect your heart, stabilize
your insulin, and much more. In broad strokes, resveratrol has the following
actions and functions:
6

Broad-spectrum antimicrobial

Anti-infective

Antioxidant

Cardio-protective

Neuroprotective

Resveratrol's ability to quench inflammation renders it useful not just against

cancer, but also for inflammatory diseases such as appendicitis, peritonitis, and
systemic sepsis. It does this by preventing your body from creating two
molecules known to trigger inflammation -- sphingosine kinase and
phospholipase D.
Another property that sets resveratrol apart from many other antioxidants is its
ability to cross your blood-brain barrier, which allows it to moderate inflammation

in your central nervous system. This is significant because CNS inflammation

plays an important role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases.
In a 2010 study, resveratrol was found to suppress inflammatory effects in
certain brain cells (microglia and astrocytes) by inhibiting different
proinflammatory cytokines and key signaling molecules. There is also solid
scientific data that resveratrol helps clear out the plaque in your brain that leads
to Alzheimer. According to a 2005 study published in the Journal of Biological
Chemistry, resveratrol exerts potent anti-amyloidogenic activity. More recently,
resveratrol was also found to improve cerebral blood flow to your brain, which
has obvious implications for vascular dementiawhich is caused by impaired
blood flowas well as stroke.
8

Whats the Best Source of Resveratrol?

According to Bloomberg, at least two dozen clinical trials are currently underway
to gauge resveratrols effects on human health and longevity, including at least
one synthetic version that is equivalent to drinking 1,000 bottles of red wine per
day! This synthetic resveratrol is being tested on cancer patients. Harvard
researchers are optimistic that their anti-aging wonderdrug could be available in
less than five years.
11

But buyers beware... Taking a synthetic version of a natural agent, or an isolated

agent, rarely produces good results and you can frequently expect the
unexpected, in terms of side effects. It is always better to consume the whole
food, the way nature prepared it with its full complement of naturally-occurring,
synergistic phytonutrients.
As mentioned earlier, red wine is one of the richest dietary sources of resveratrol.
For comparison, fresh grape skin contains about 50 to 100 micrograms of
resveratrol per gram, while red wine concentrations range from 1.5 to 3
milligrams per liter. That said, I still dont recommend drinking red wine for a daily
dose of resveratrol, mainly because alcohol itself is a neurotoxin, which means it
can poison your brain. Additionally, it has the strong potential to seriously disrupt
your delicate hormone balance.
Instead, I recommend getting resveratrol from your diet by eating grapes
(muscadine grapes have the highest concentration of resveratrol in nature
because of their extra thick skins and numerous seeds where it is concentrated),
cocoa, dark chocolate and peanuts. In order to get closer to any kind of
therapeutic dose, however, you would likely need a resveratrol supplement
(which is one of the few supplements I personally take). Ideally, it should be
made from a whole food complex that includes muscadine grape skin and seeds,
which contain the highest levels of resveratrol.

Since grapes are particularly high in fructose though, if you are one of the 80
percent of the population that suffers from insulin resistance (overweight, high
blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol) then that might not be your first step.
Instead consider implanting intermitent fasting and get your insulin resistance
under control. Once you have done that, then it would make sense to use grapes
as a source of natural resveratrol as it will work in conjunction with your now
normalized insulin resistance.

Aim for BalanceEven When It Comes to Beneficial Nutrients

Keep in mind that too much of a good thing can backfire, even when its a natural
supplement. This is particularly relevant when it comes to antioxidants, as your
body does need some degree of oxidative stress for optimal function and
adaptation. Consider exercise, for example.
Vigorous exercise creates a high degree of oxidative stress, but without it, your
body would not become stronger. In other words, if the stress on your body were
to be removed from exercise, so would the benefit. This is precisely what the
University of Copenhagen discovered in a recent study involving older men taking
resveratrol. According to Science Daily.
We found that exercise training was highly effective in improving cardiovascular
health parameters, but resveratrol supplementation attenuated the positive
effects of training on several parameters including blood pressure, plasma lipid
concentrations and maximal oxygen uptake.
This really took the researchers by surprise! They noted that the quantities of
resveratrol given to the men in this study (250 mg) were much higher than what
they would have received from natural foods, and that might be part of the
problem. The take-home message is that antioxidants are not a fix for everything;
its more about finding balance. By focusing on a healthful diet that optimizes
your insulin levels and minimizes inflammation, you will reduce your risk for
virtually all chronic disease, including cancer.
As a general rule, the best approach to antioxidants is to consume a wide variety
of them, not large amounts of just one. They work together synergistically, all
performing different roles in your body, like an orchestra performing a symphony.
The music falls very short if only one or two instruments are playing.