Plants, when stressed by parasites, various infections, ultraviolet radiation, or injury, synthesize specialized polyphenol compounds called phytoalexins.

Resveratrol, a potent phytoalexin, was originally identified in 1940 from the white hellebore lily. The most concentrated known natural source is red wine, and the Asian medicinal plant polygonum cuspidatum (Giant Knotweed). Resveratrol, together with other bioactive ingredients in these plants, has been used as a botanical dietary supplement in herbal formulations for thousands of years in traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Indian medicine for their health producing effects.

In the human diet the greatest source of Resveratrol and associated polyphenols comes from the skins of red grapes. Resveratrol acts as the plant"s antibiotic or fungicide to ward off attacks, particularly from various fungi. During wine making, the Resveratrol is concentrated. The type of grape, climate, and soil are all factors that influence the level of Resveratrol found in red wine. The longer the red grape skin is in contact with the wine and juice, the higher the Resveratrol content. Resveratrol itself is an off-white powder that, chemically, is found in two forms, depending on the structure of the molecule. Trans-Resveratrol is the more active form (as compared to cis-Resveratrol), preferred for use in supplements. It is relatively stable if protected from light, oxygen, and a high pH environment. If exposed to light, it will rapidly convert to the less stable form, and lose much of its biological effect. Dried red grape skins yield approximately 92 mg of resveratrol from 1 kg of grape skins, which is approximately a 10,000:1 ratio. The tablet coating and packaging of Vindure is designed to protect the Resveratrol supplement from light.

Not all Resveratrol is created equal

Resveratrol supplements from polygonum cuspidatum are available commercially in several concentrations. The lower purity 10%, 25%, or 50% extract usually contains large quantities of emodin, which can have unpleasant side effects. Vinomis products contain premium extract standardized to at least 98% purity.

References:

Increase in lifespan and healthspan. The 2006 Harvard Medical School Study that fueled all the recent excitement about Resveratrol. In the words of the HMS press release... "Small Molecule Increases Lifespan and "Healthspan" of Obese Mice. Risk of Death Cut By 31 Percent for Obese Mice Treated with Compound, and Treated Mice Seen Living as Long as Lean Mice. In Obese Mice, Molecule Reversed Nearly All Pathways Activated In Mice By High Calorie Diets. Findings Suggest Broad Implications for the Treatment of Age-related Diseases, Including Diabetes and Heart Disease." More...

Reduction and inhibition of intestinal tumors. A study at South Dakota State University found that Resveratrol and grape extract significantly decreased the incidence and multiplicity of tumors in the small intestine in rats. More...

Resveratrol may block colon cancer. Dr. Randall Holcombe, director of clinical research at the Cancer Center at UC Irvine, followed up on previous in vitro studies showing that Resveratrol blocks a cellular signaling pathway known as the WNT pathway. The WNT pathway has been linked to more than 85 percent of sporadic colon cancers, which is the most common form of colon cancer. More...

Resveratrol inhibits growth of human colon cancer cells by 70%. A 2000 study by the Digestive Oncology Laboratory in Strasbourg, France, investigated the anticancer properties of Resveratrol. More...

Resveratrol prevented tumor growth. At Ahime University in Japan, moderate doses (2.5 and 10 mg/kg) of Resveratrol significantly prevented the growth of tumors and reduced the size (by 46%) and metstasis (by 56%) of lung cancer tumors by in mice. More...

Dietary antioxidant flavonoids protect against post-menopausal breast cancer. Research study at Columbia University showed a 25-50% reduction in risk of tumor formation. More...

Resveratrol shows cancer chemopreventive activity. A 1997 study at the University of Illinois showed Resveratrol to have cancer chemopreventive activity in assays representing three major stages of carcinogenesis. Resveratrol was found to act as an antioxidant and antimutagen and to induce phase II drug-metabolizing enzymes (anti-initiation activity); it mediated anti-inflammatory effects and inhibited cyclooxygenase and hydroperoxidase functions (antipromotion activity); and it induced human promyelocytic leukemia cell differentiation (antiprogression activity). More...

Resveratrol induced marked growth inhibition in five human cancer cell lines. In a 2002 epidemiological study at Columbia University, Resveratrol induced growth inhibition, S-phase arrest, apoptosis, and changes in biomarker expression. More...

Resveratrol inhibits cancer growth. This 2004 UCLA review published in "Anti-Cancer Research" concluded that: "Besides cardioprotective effects, Resveratrol exhibits anticancer properties, as suggested by its ability to suppress proliferation of a wide variety of tumor cells, including lymphoid and myeloid cancers; multiple myeloma; cancers of the breast,
prostate, stomach, colon, pancreas, and thyroid; melanoma; head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; ovarian carcinoma; and cervical carcinoma. More...

Cardio-protective properties of Resveratrol. A team at Taiwan National University College of Medicine concluded that "Resveratrol is a potent antiarrhythmic agent with cardioprotective properties" in a study where rats were treated preventively with Resveratrol prior to occluding the coronary artery. More...