Resveratrol and Food Metabolism
February 6, 2010 by admin
Filed under Resveratrol
Resveratrol is a substance contained in plants that is released during an immune reaction. Resveratrol has been shown to reduce blood sugar and increase the metabolism in lower mammals. Some people believe it enhances the SIRT1 gene in humans. The SIRT1 gene is one associated with humans who naturally have a higher metabolism. These are the people who eat burgers and fries at 40 and burn it off naturally. I guess we all wish we had that one. The idea is that supplementation of this chemical messenger caused mice in the laboratory to have higher endurance and an increase in food metabolism. The associated blood sugar decrease supports this argument.
Later other researchers independently confirmed that human metabolism containing this same gene could act the same way. The research did not confirm that resveratrol boosts human metabolism but may have the ability to boost it. Unfortunately no clinical trials are on-going to confirm that resveratrol boosts human metabolism. In the absence of clinical trials, only blood sugar has been confirmed as a side-effect of the resveratrol dosing.
The latest study of resveratrol did confirm in higher mammals that resveratrol inhibits the formations of plaques in animal brains. This is significant because Alzheimer’s disease works by forming deadly plaques in the brain. Other debilitating illnesses work by clogging the brain with harmful plaque-like substances. These illnesses are characterized by forgetfulness, dementia and loss and damage of cerebral tissue. Brain plaque reduction was not a process that researchers were expecting or looking for. In looking at resveratrol overall it appears as a chemical messenger it acts like a “fountain of youth”. This substance enhances metabolism to keep us fit, it decreases many of the mental signs of age like memory loss and dementia and it removes impurities and toxins from our bodies – purifying the body. Chemically it appears that enhancing metabolism is merely the tip of the iceberg. Perhaps resveratrol is the fountain of youth?
