Resveratrol Health Benefits l Resveratrol Studies l Antioxidant Benefits of Resveratrol Sources

In a 2001 report made by researchers at the Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, and the University of Illinois Cancer Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago K.P.L. Bhat, J.W. Kosmeder II, and J.M. Pezzuto endeavored to summarize the health benefits of the naturally occurring polyphenol resveratrol.

Resveratrol naturally occurs in various plant-derived foods and beverages, such as grapes, peanuts, white and red wine, raw cranberry juice, and so forth. Its health benefits have been observed in the form of cancer prevention and prevention of heart disease among other things.

Antioxidant Benefits of Resveratrol

Resveratrol is a known antioxidant and its ability to promote nitric oxide production is well documented. It has also been shown to increase high-density lipoprotein cholesterol which makes it highly beneficial as a cardiopreventative agent due to the fact that it protects against plaque build up in the arteries.

The estrogenic effect of resveratrol supplements make it a valuable instrument in the fight against breast cancer as it transfects breast cancer cells.

Finally, resveratrol’s anti-inflammatory properties make it useful as a neuroprotective agent. In such cases, resveratrol is able to assist the body in maintaining brain cell health.

Likely, researchers have only scratched the surface of the many health benefits resveratrol has. Additional studies will allow researchers to not only identify the exact mechanisms by which resveratrol positively impacts so many diseases, but also identify additional health issues that can be helped by resveratrol.

Doctors Usha R. Pendurthi, J. Todd Williams, and L. Vijaya Mohan Rao from the Departments of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at The University of Texas Health Center in Tyler, Texas published a study in 1998 stating that resveratrol, found in red wine, suppresses tissue factor expression in vascular cells.

Resveratrol and coronary heart disease

Several studies suggest that coronary heart disease deaths are lowered by moderate consumption of alcohol, particularly red wine. Resveratrol is produced in grapes and a variety of other plants in response to fungal infections or other types of stress. Resveratrol is found in high concentrations in grape skins, and therefore, most of the red wines contain significant amounts of resveratrol.

Recent studies in which humans consumed resveratrol-enriched grape juice showed that trans-resveratrol could be absorbed from grape juice in biologically active amounts and in amounts that are likely to cause a reduced risk of clogged arteries and heart disease.

Many studies suggest that moderate consumption of red wine may be more effective than other alcoholic beverages in decreasing the risk of coronary heart disease death. Resveratrol has been thought to be responsible for cardiovascular benefits associated with wine consumption. Resveratrol is shown to have antioxidant and anti-platelet activities.

Conclusion: Resveratrol reduces the risk of clogged arteries and cardiovascular disease

In this study, the doctors examined the effect of resveratrol supplements on induction of tissue factor expression, a process that begins the blood clotting processes. The data shows that resveratrol suppresses the expression of tissue factor in vascular cells.

In 1995, Doctors Cecil R. Pace-Asciak, Susan Hahn, Eleftherios P. Diamandis, George Soleas, and David M. Goldberg published a study from the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Toronto and Research Institute at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. There is much evidence that suggests that red wine may be more effective than other alcoholic beverages in decreasing the risk of coronary heart disease death.

Polyphenol Resveratrol and its Effect on Blood Clots

Red wines are rich in phenolic compounds, like resveratrol, and may explain the protective qualities of red wine. This experiment studied the benefits of resveratrol on human blood platelet clotting.  The effects were compared with other wine phenolics and anti-oxidants. Trans-resveratrol was proven to reduce toxin induced blood platelet clotting. This means that trans-resveratrol reduced the risk or creation of harmful blood clots in laboratory experiments.

In this study, red wines with the alcohol content removed also reduced blood clotting, and its activity was comparable to trans-resveratrol’s concentrations in this experiment. The doctors noted that these results are consistent with the idea that trans-resveratrol may contribute to the protective role of red wine against coronary heart disease and artery clogging.

In a 2002 case study from the Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry at the University of Łódź, Banacha in Łódź, Poland, Drs. B. Olas, B. Wachowicz, J. Saluk-Juszczak and T. Zieliński found that resveratrol, a natural compound found in plants, effects blood cell platelet activation.

This resveratrol study investigates how resveratrol effects platelet activation stimulated by a certain type of bacteria, and used a strong and weak stimulator. This bacterium is naturally occurring within the body and induces a strong response from human immune systems. The study tested resveratrol effects against strong and weak bacterial toxin stimulators.

Resveratrol suppressed the adhesion of blood platelets to collagen (blood clotting) after activation by the bacterial toxins. The study concluded that ingesting resveratrol might be an important way to help the blood platelets clot properly around inflammation injuries.

Resveratrol is found in some plants that are used in human nutrition. Grapes are a major source for resveratrol, and a significant amount can also be found in red wine. Several experimental studies have demonstrated biological properties of resveratrol, especially its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-platelet and anti-tumor effects. Easily ingested in resveratrol supplements , are a way for the body to ingest resveratrol without the effects of alcohol or calories found in red wine.