What is Resveratrol and is it any good?

Resveratrol (trans-3,5,4'-trihydroxystilbene) is a substance found in the skins of certain red grapes, in peanuts, blueberries, some pines (Scots pine, eastern white pine) and the roots and stalks of Japanese knotweed (hu zhang in China) and giant knotweed. It is now being sold as a mass-produced nutritional supplement. The supplement, first sourced as ground dried red grape skins, has shifted somewhat to include certain of the knotweeds as a raw material.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resveratrol
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Gary Moller comments:
This nutrition supplement is promoted as being beneficial for everything from obesity, heart disease, blood pressure, anti-ageing, multiple sclerosis, ovarian cysts, low energy and high cholesterol!

I am naturally cautious of any new nutritional substance that has been mostly tested on mice and which makes sweeping and dramatic health claims. I have seen it all before.

While I have no doubt that this antioxidant is beneficial, it is far too soon to say just how effective it is and working from anecdotal feedback by users and a few mouse studies is dodgy at best. Over-pricing is usually an issue with these new wonder supplements and it may be better value and better nutrition to stick to the more broad spectrum anti oxidant supplements that have been around a while and to concentrate one's efforts on establishing a consistent nutrient dense basic diet and keeping to it.

What is Resveratrol?

hi,Gary,

first time i have responded to a blogg site- Have you heard or do you know about this new vitamin- "resveratrol"sounds good but what do you know about it?

regards Mike

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Gary Moller comments:

Mike, you are not the first to have asked: This compound is found in the skin of red grapes and as a constituent of red wine and various other nuts fruits and veges, including blue berries; but apparently not in sufficient amounts to explain the “French paradox” that the incidence of coronary heart disease is relatively low in southern France despite high dietary intake of saturated fats.

The more likely explanation of the French paradox is a combination of factors including red wine intake. The most powerful factor may be vitamin D levels: the further South one lives in France, the higher the vitamin D levels. Strangely, research findings of this association between regional variations of heart desease, cancer and vitamin D levels in France is largely ignored. Perhaps it is because sunlight cannot be patented and packaged and it certainly is not PC to recommend sunbathing as a healthy activity!

I think resveratrol is expensive in pill form. here's my general advice: Eat lots of coloured fruit and veges and take a multi vitamin, a mineral supplement and some omega 3 oil and you will be quite well covered. Have a smoothie now and then with blueberries in it. Get your vitamin D levels tested and, if you have some spare dosh after all that, buy some resveratrol.