Resveratrol reduces the severity of type II insulin-resistant diabetes. A new study finds that resveratrol works against diabetes by altering brain metabolism.
Chevy Chase, MD—Resveratrol, a molecule found in red grapes, has been shown to improve diabetes when delivered orally to rodents. Until now, however, little has been known about how these beneficial changes are mediated in the body. A new study accepted for publication in Endocrinology, a journal of The Endocrine Society, shows that the brain plays a key role in mediating resveratrol's anti-diabetic actions, potentially paving the way for future orally-delivered diabetes medications that target the brain.
Resveratrol activates sirtuins, a class of proteins that are thought to underlie many of the beneficial effects of calorie restriction. Previous studies in mice have provided compelling evidence that when sirtuins are activated by resveratrol, diabetes is improved. Sirtuin activators are now being tested in humans as anti-diabetic compounds.
I continue to wonder whether I should take resveratrol. Anyone have well-informed views on this question?
By Randall Parker at 2009 October 07 12:17 AM Aging Diet ResveratrolDavid Sinclair has long stated that the first Res-based drug (derivatized to allow longer residence) will be approved for diabetes.
JP Straley
From p.186 of An Evidence-Based Approach to Dietary Phytochemicals by Jane Higdon: "Although trans-reseveratrol appears to be well-absorbed by humans when taken orally, its bioavailability is relatively low due to its rapid metabolism and elimination. When healthy men and women took an oral dose of 25 mg of trans-resveratrol, only traces of the unchanged resveratrol were detected in plasma... The bioavailability of resveratrol from grape juice ... was even lower than that of trans-resveratrol." "Much of the basic research on resveratrol has been conducted in cultured cells exposed to unmetabolized resveratrol at concentrations that are often 10 to 100 times greater than peak concentrations observed in human plasma after oral consumption. Although cells that line the digestive tract are exposed to unmetabolized resveratrol, research in humans suggests that other tissues are exposed primarily to reseveratrol metabolites. Little is known about the biological activity of resveratrol metabolites, and it is not known whether some tissues are capable of converting resveratrol metabolites back to resveratrol."
To earn good health, we should eat a nutritarian diet (vegetables, fruits, beans and lentils, seeds and nuts, and healthy flavor enhancers), get regular exercise of varying kinds, get adequate sleep, and not ingest any toxic substances (i. e. anything that makes you feel different).
The question I have is: where do you get
relatively pure Resveratrol ?
(aside from red wine)
"The question I have is: where do you get
relatively pure Resveratrol ?
(aside from red wine)"-Dennis
Supplements for now. Cost effective ones are available that provide 100mg 50%trans-resveratrol(e.g. country life brand.). Higher purity (90-99%)ones could be cost effective depending on budget.
More potent drugs derived from resveratrol research could be very promising, if they do not have serious side-effects, I've read some have even extended the lifespan of non-obese mice in unpublished tests.
It is like modern warfare that avoids collateral damage with accurate targeting systems. Sirtuins, IGF-1, and rapamycin would combat aging if we could avoid the side effects.
TJ,
I suspect some metabolic tweaks (like drugs that will suppress type II insulin-resistant diabetes) can be done without an added cancer risk. But turning up cell growth runs a cancer risk. We really need effective ways to kill cells that have dangerous mutations.
I've been using a brand called "Resveritrol Forte" for years.
Antecdotal, I know, but I'm often mistaken for being ten (or more) years younger than I am.
Randall- start taking resveratrol now.
1) Take the real thing. Find a source for 98%+ pure. It's easy to tell by color- lab grade resveratrol is an off-white powder- not green/brown which is the cheap commercial grade.
2) Take enough. Real doses only begin at 250 mg., below which virtually none gets to the bloodstream whole. Longevity doses are probably 1500-2500 mg. Athletic doses are closer to 4500 mg. I take 4000 mg/day.
3) Take it all at once. I won't get technical on you, but bioavailability studies suggest that one way to address the problem of extensive first-pass metabolism and get some whole molecule resveratrol into the blood is to overwhelm the liver's capacity to metabolize it completely. The higher the single dose, the better the overwhelm effect.
4) Take multiple forms. Put a pinch of your pure resveratrol between your cheek and gum. Buccal/sublingual absorption is as much as 100 times more efficient than capsule intake, as measured in clinical settings in humans. We use a liquid formula for this purpose, and retain it in the mouth for 2 minutes before swallowing. Swish your red wine, like the oenophiles do.
5) Take other polyphenols. The benefits of these compounds are still largely unknown outside research circles. The most important are procyanidins (apples, wine, grapes, blueberries, pine bark, and tea). Quercetin (apples, onions, capers) and fisetin (strawberries)are also STACs (sirtuin activators).