France has a very low rate of death from heart disease despite the fact many French eat a diet high in saturated fat from cheese and meat. Quite a paradox isn't it? In fact, the France death rate from heart disease is only one quarter of the rate in Britain where beer consumption outweighs red wine consumption.
Could it be the red wine consumption in France is keeping arteries clean and free of fatty plaque that leads to heart disease?
Resveratrol for prevention.
Researchers have done studies on animals and their findings do suggest that an antioxidant called "resveratrol" in the skin of the red grape is responsible for extending the lifespan, just as calorie restriction does, by up to 30%. Reservatrol also lowers the risk of diabetes, obesity, blood clotting and is anti-inflammatory - in these particular studies on mice.
Now that is big news.
Beware to red wine drinkers! This doesn't give you an excuse to pound back a bottle of red wine each night to achieve the same desirable results. You would need to drink 100-1000 bottles of red wine a day to get the concentration of resveratrol used in theses studies. Alcohol has many undesirable effects that far outweigh the benefits. Common sense prevails in this case.
North Americans LOVE a quick fix. However, I suggest if you want to boost your consumption of resveratrol then focus on eating the WHOLE organic red grape. This will be FAR more effective than obtaining it from red wine, as your local winery might suggest :)
Resveratrol in a pill.
There are also supplements containing a high concentration of resveratrol. In fact, I was just in a health food/supplement store the other day chatting with the owner. He was glowing with enthusiasm over this antioxidant and recommended for heart health.
I must admit, I do enjoy a glass of red wine with a fabulous dinner once or twice a week. This news does sway me to choose red over white more often then not. And of course, pick up a bag of organic grapes too!
Eat well to live well,
Joyous
Oh, Good post.so gald to see your views about resveratrol.I'm also looking for resveratrol supplements. I found a lots of websites online. and i have read some other idea about resveratrol-anti-aging: , are they true or not? Anyway, I'll try resveratrol soon.
ReplyThanks for your comment. Resveratrol has been claimed to be anti-inflammatory, cancer-preventative, reduces the risk of heart disease by keeping your arteries clean, but I have not seen/heard any other anti-aging claims like preventing wrinkles or other common signs of aging. If it prevents cellular destruction then you could draw the conclusion that it is anti-aging, but again, I have not heard of any studies. If you do, please let me know! The best anti-aging is good nutrition, exercise, a positive attitude and limiting stress.
I recently stopped taking lipitor and diovan/HCTZ. I can hear the pharmaceutical industry sobbing. I now take resveratrol, omega 3 and 6 pills. Your articles are helpful. Thank you! My love around you, Cecille Chan
ReplyGood for your Cecille. Thanks for sharing your story :))
[...] Resveratrol & The “French Paradox” « Joyous Health Researchers have done studies on animals and their findings do suggest that an antioxidant called “resveratrol” in the skin of the red grape is responsible for extending the lifespan, just as calorie restriction does, by up to 30%. … Tags: antioxidant, lifespan, animals, french paradox, calorie restriction Tags: animals, antioxidant, calorie restriction, french paradox, lifespan [...]
Reply[...] with nutrients including: lutein, zeaxanthin, resveratrol (responsible for the French paradox), vitamin C, fiber, flavonoids, ellagic acid, and of my faves, quercetin. These nutrients support [...]
ReplyDid you know that the benefits from Resveratrol are external as well as internal? Resveratrol and wine phytoalexins, and polyphenols all work to stimulate oxygenation to the skin, and has anti aging properties? - I know this b/c I was studying this complex in a class I was taking, and apparently in ancient Egypt, wine stomper noticed increased skin health benefits from the grapes they were crushing. This is also why Cleopatra bathed in wine!
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