Saturday, August 1, 2009

Resveratrol and Youth

Resveratrol and Youth

by Jane Soreau

When it comes to health and anti-aging, it is hard to find better guidance than that offered by Oprah Winfrey. Several months ago, Oprah invited Dr. Mehmet Oz, a doctor originally from Turkey who specializes in cardiac problems and is known as an expert concerning reducing the problems caused by growing older, to speak on her show. What Dr. Oz presented was resveratrol; a scientific breakthrough in the fight against aging with which we all are forced to struggle.

Toxin Eliminators

Oxidants are toxins that attack the body's organs. These toxins are responsible for wrinkles, organ damage, and can even produce cancer. Antioxidants, as the name suggests, are the archenemies of oxidants. They protect the body's organs and cells, particularly its nervous system. Consequently, antioxidants at once destroy toxic oxidants and restore damaged tissue.

What is Resveratrol?

Among antioxidants, resveratrol is one of the (if not the most) powerful found by our scientists and doctors. As a catalyst, resveratrol sends out a kind of "call to action" to one of the protectors of our immune systems: "Sirtuins." Sirtuins are durable genes that assist in stopping cellular decay, allowing other cells to rejuvenate themselves. An aging individual who ingests resveratrol regularly-in large enough doses of course-will therefore notice that he or she has more energy, reduced fatigue, and a healthier appearance, complete with softened wrinkles and lines.

Hence there are a multitude of benefits generated by ingesting resveratrol on a regular basis. Resveratrol has been found to both fight against, and protect the body from, cancer. It can also protect the body if it is exposed to certain types of radiation and, of course, assist in weight loss.

Still, this is only the tip of the iceberg! Studies concerning resveratrol are still in their infancy, and GlaxoSmithKline has already invested almost a billion dollars to further our knowledge of this seemingly miraculous antioxidant.

Homeopathic? Of Course!

Chances are you have already consumed resveratrol at some point in your life, though you probably weren't aware of it! Utilized for ages in the East as a restorative cure found in Japanese Knotwood, resveratrol was given the name "ko-jo-kon" in 1963. Japanese Knotwood is not, however, as exotic as you might imagine. In more than thirteen states it has been designated as a hostile and overwhelming weed, with the capacity to overrun your backyard in no time. The power of this plant is generated by-you guessed it-the large amounts of resveratrol contained within it. Knotwood has so much resveratrol that companies have begun using it to create dietary supplements, although some people simply cultivate it and cook with it: Knotwood is a tasty replacement for rhubarb.

Peanuts-ordinary, everyday peanuts, available in bulk at your local grocery store-are another source of resveratrol. Indeed, though they appear to be high in fat, studies show that people who ingest peanuts on a regular basis actually have a lower body fat percentage than the average person.

Do you drink red wine? If so, then you are drinking resveratrol. Back in 1992 scientists discovered that grapevines contained copious amounts of resveratrol. Thus drinking red wine is a heart-healthy choice for many of us. Even so, it's important-given all the benefits that resveratrol has to offer us-to remember that a single dose of a resveratrol supplement contains the equivalent of almost one thousand bottles of red wine!

About the Author:


---------------------------------------------------
You are receiving this because you signed up for it on 2009-04-23 from IP 152.135.235.188
To fine-tune your selection of which articles to receive, just login here
using your username: kevinh

To unsubscribe please use the following link: unsubscribe
---------------------------------------------------