Calorie Restriction, Resveratrol and Longevity
Researchers have known since the 1930s that organisms, animals, and even humans can live longer, healthier lives through calorie restriction, which activates “survival genes” later discovered to be sirtuin (SIRT) genes and enzymes. Unfortunately, in order to achieve these significant increases in lifespan, humans would need to eat a near-starvation diet, which is not only virtually impossible, but unpleasant and frankly dangerous. Decades ago, scientists also discovered the French Paradox, and determined that despite a high fat diet, the French lived longer and healthier, and have concluded that the causes had largely to do with their daily dose of red wine.
Most recently, discoveries by Dr. Joseph Baur and Dr. David Sinclair at Harvard Medical School in 2006, coupled with many follow-on university and research laboratory studies (including University of Pennsylvania, Marywood University, Yale, University of Michigan, University of Connecticut, Wake Forest, Oregon State, University of South Carolina, Ohio State, and many more), have shown that there are natural plant extracts that can activate sirtuins and mimic the longevity effects of calorie restriction, without having to dramatically restrict calorie intake.
These natural plant extracts were discovered after investigating over 20,000 compounds. Nineteen (19) of these compounds were identified, and 17 (all polyphenols with strong antioxidant properties) are found in red wine grapes, including Resveratrol and Quercetin. Futhermore, it has been proven that the combination of these polyphenols allow them to work together, and to remain in the blood stream (bioavailability), and stay in contact with cells longer after being ingested.
Studies on fish, mice, and worms and flies have shown that lifespan, and healthy lifespan, can be prolonged by 60%, 25%, and 30% respectively using Resveratrol and a normal calorie diet. Even more impressive is that these studies have shown that 1) animals also lived healthier lives due to the prevention and/or delay of the onset of age-related diseases such as diabetes, neurological disorders, heart disease, and cancer, and 2) even obese animals, who would normally have many complications, lived normal-aged lives.
Resveratrol and red grape polyphenols are “all the rage” these days, and supply and demand is growing in leaps and bounds in terms of its inclusion in supplements, foods, drinks, etc. However, it should again be noted that while Resveratrol has the highest SIRT gene activation, other polyphenols found in red wine grapes such as Quercetin and Catechins, are not far behind, and work in concert with Resveratrol.
Latest Medical Research
Extensive medical research has been conducted by university professors, pharmaceutical companies, and nutraceutical companies into the medical benefits of red wine extracts, Quercetin, and Resveratrol ingredients.
These studies have shown many health benefits including: anti-inflammatory, blood thinning and reduced risk for artery clotting (anti-coagulant), normalization of blood sugar (for diabetes), increase mental capacity and memory, increase in strength and endurance, removal of amyloid-beta proteins that may cause brain damage associated with Alzheimer’s, and even the inhibition of many types of cancers (lung, colon, skin, liver and pancreatic).
Can it really be that all of these age-related issues may be dealt with using simply plant polyphenols compounds? Quite possibly, the answer is yes.
Filed under: Articles, Science, resveratrol
