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Resveratrol
Resveratrol is an antioxidant produced by several plants including grape vines, blueberries, peanuts and helps protect such plants from attack by pathogens such as bacteria or fungi. Resveratrol has also been produced by chemical synthesis and is sold as a nutritional supplement derived primarily from Japanese knotweed.
It came to the notice of researchers primarily through observation of the 'French Paradox' - the fact that the French, who consume relatively large amounts of saturated fats, do not suffer from the high levels of coronary heart disease experience in the US and other Western countries. They tentatively identified high consumption of red wine and its protective effects as an explanation (although the fact is that the correlation between saturated fat and heart disease is far from proven). However the French also tend to smoke more than their neighbours yet do not show proportionately higher rates of lunk cancer, another possible indication of a protective effect.
Resveratrol has been shown at times to extend the life span of yeast, mice, nematode worms and other organisms, by activating a gene, SIRT1, which is normally only activated by a calorie-restricted diet, long known to increase the average lifespans of many species. In mouse and rat experiments, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, blood-sugar-lowering, chelating and other beneficial cardiovascular effects of resveratrol have been reported, but these results have yet to be replicated in humans. There is now also a proprietary version of resveratrol, SRT501, which is under trial in India for use against diabetes.
A glass a day
Many studies have linked moderate alcohol consumption with a reduced risk of heart disease. While this probably due more to stress reduction, wine is rich in antioxidants including resveratrol, and in moderate quantity is almost certainly beneficial. Italian researchers claim it is good for the teeth and gums and may slow the progression of dementia, while Swedish scientists have found that wine, of whatever colour, stabilises erratic pulse in women. But the bad news is that more than one glass a day increases the risk of bowel cancer.
