Resveratrol Supplements – What Everyone Should Know!

Resveratrol is an antimicrobial substance that is produced by some plants when they are being attacked by bacteria or fungi.  Essentially, Resveratrol is an antibiotic produced by plant to protect themselves from harmful infections.  Research shows that it may help animals (Including You!)counteract the effects of aging by decreasing inflammation in the body.  This is important because inflammation is believed to contribute to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and cancer. Anything that suppresses inflammation might help reduce the symptoms or help treat these diseases.

Resveratrol is found in the skin of red grapes, peanuts and berries. It is a key component of red wine, and may be responsible for what is known as the French Paradox.  This is the inverse relationship between the consumption of red wine and the instance of heart disease.  The French Paradox is especially interesting to scientists because in addition to drinking, the French also consume a diet that is very high in saturated fats

Japanese knotweed is also used to chemically synthesize Resveratrol for purposes of Resveratrol supplements.  People decide to take a Resveratrol supplement for many reasons.  Chief among them are the anti-aging and anti-inflammatory benefits.

There are two components in Resveratrol.  Trans-Resveratrol and Cis-Resveratrol. Studies show that the trans Resveratrol is the only one that contributes to the health benefits and as such if you decide to supplement it is best to get a trans Resveratrol supplement.

Resveratrol has been shown in studies to slow the aging process. This is due in large part to the high level of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory power. Let’s look at specific benefits that Resveratrol is believed to have.

• · Antioxidant – Helps fight free radical cell damage in the body
• · Anti-inflamatory
• · May support weight lose through increasing metabolism thus helping fight obesity
• · Fights diseases like cancer and neurodegenerative disorders
• · Improves the Way Your Body Deals with Cholesterol
• · Antiviral
• · Neuroprotective
• · Cardio Protective
• · Protects from restriction of the blood supply that results in the damage and dysfunction of tissue
• · Helps the body fight infection
• · May help prevent the progression of cancer

If you decide to buy Resveratrol supplements, there are a few things that you need to know.  First and foremost, just like the acai berry, Resveratrol came on to the scene as a health supplement with a lot of buzz.  This is due to a segment that was aired on 60 minutes in which two scientists announced that they had found and isolated the component of red wine that was responsible for the many health benefits.  Also reported were laboratory stories in which mice who were given Resveratrol seemed to reverse in age.

In response to this, demand for Resveratrol skyrocketed overnight.  The problem came in when many decided to offer cheap Resveratrol supplements that are inferior in quality.  Often, these products are manufactured in China and have almost no active ingredients.

Be leery of any Resveratrol supplement that offers a “free” trial.  This is generally a scam in which you sign up for a free trial and are offered a very narrow window in which to cancel a membership that you did not know you were enrolled in.  If you fail to cancel, you will be billed monthly.  Canceling is a bit of a challenge because you can’t get anyone to actually pick up the phone when you call.  Like with the acai berry scam, your only option will be to cancel your credit card.

That does not mean that you cannot find good quality Resveratrol supplements.  You just need to do a little research.  You need to pay attention to ingredients, purity and dosage to find the best Resveratrol supplements.

Ingredients

Now – remember in the beginning where we talked about the two parts of Resveratrol and how Trans Resveratrol is responsible for the many health benefits.  You want to look for a Trans Resveratrol supplment.  If you had two products, one that states it had 400mg of Resveratrol and the other that said it had 200mg Trans-Resveratrol, they are going to offer roughly the same benefit, all things else being equal.

Purity

There are different ways to prepare Trans-Resveratrol.  If a product says it is 50% Trans-Resveratrol, only half of the mg dose is actually Trans-Resveratrol.  Likewise, if it says 75% Trans-Resveratrol, 75% of each dose is actually active product.

What you really want is a product that says 99% Trans-Resveratrol.  This is because other products are loaded with fillers.  Some of these fillers, like Cis-Resveratrol may get in the way of the impact of the Resveratrol. Emodin is also often used and this is a laxative!  Make sure you read the label and stear clear of any products that have a long list of ingredients. Purity is critical!

Dosage

All Resveratrol supplements are not made equal!  To ensure that you get enough to benefit, you need to make sure that you are able to determine just how much Resveratrol is present in your supplement.  This means that you should stay away from any product that does not clearly state the mg per serving.  You are looking for a product that has between 100mg and 500mg per serving.

By choosing the best Resveratrol supplement, you are sure to enjoy the many health benefits that this product offers.