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What Is Resveratrol?
Resveratrol a compound found largely in the skins of red grapes and is used in oriental medicine to treat diseases of the blood vessels, heart, and liver. Reseratrol came to scientific attention several years ago as a possible explanation for the French Paradoxthe low incidence of heart disease among the French people, who eat a relatively high-fat diet. The substance is widely available as a nutraceutical supplement and being examined by scientific researchers as a possible antioxidant, an anti-cancer agent, and a phytoestrogen. Resveratrol (trans-resveratrol) is a phytoalexin produced naturally by several plants when under 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 Polygonum Caspidatum Root. Resveratrol is found in the skin of red grapes and is a constituent of red wine, but apparently not in sufficient amounts to explain the French paradox. Experiments have shown that resveratrol treatment extended the life of fruit flies, nematode worms and fish with short life spans but it did not increase the life span of mice. In mouse and rat experiments, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, blood-sugar-lowering and other beneficial cardiovascular effects of resveratrol have been reported. Most of these results have yet to be replicated in humans. In the only positive human trial, extremely high doses (3~5 g) of resveratrol in a proprietary formulation have been necessary to significantly lower blood sugar.