happy being - march 9th 2023

Top 5 Research-backed Benefits of Resveratrol

Resveratrol is a naturally occurring plant compound - aka a polyphenol - that can be found in various foods such as herbs, berries, and peanuts.

It’s most famous for its presence in grapeskin; if you’ve ever heard that red wine is good for you (which we don’t exactly agree with, more on that later), it’s because of resveratrol.

Resveratrol is produced by plants as a response to stress, injury, and fungal infections. In other words, it’s an essential component of plants’ natural immune response. So it’s no surprise that it has positive impacts on health when consumed by humans.

The powerful health benefits of resveratrol have been extensively studied and it has been found to possess serious antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which contribute to its benefits for heart health, brain function, longevity, and more.

In this article, we’ll explore five of the exciting science-backed health benefits of resveratrol.

Each serving of happy being nourished features 52.5mg of resveratrol, the equivelent of 42 cups of grapes!

Table of Contents: 5 Benefits of Resveratrol

1. Healthspan & longevity benefits of resveratrol.
The healthy aging benefits of resveratrol
2. Resveratrol protects brain health.
Reduce oxidative stress and damage in the brain with resveratrol.
3. Resveratrol and blood pressure
Anti-inflammatory properties of resveratrol improves blood pressure.
4. Anti-cancer benefits of resveratrol
Resveratrol demosntrates several chemopreventitive mechanisms.
5. Resveratrol for diabetes
Resveratrol supplementation improves symptoms of type-2 diabetes.

1. Resveratrol Improves Longevity

Resveratrol has been found to activate a class of proteins called sirtuins, which are involved in regulating DNA repair, metabolism, and aging.

Sirtuins have been shown to be important in extending lifespan in a variety of organisms, including yeast, worms, and mice. Studies have suggested that resveratrol can increase lifespan and improve healthspan, which refers to the period of life when an organism is healthy and free from disease.

In one study, mice fed a high-fat diet supplemented with resveratrol had an increased lifespan compared to mice on the same diet without resveratrol. The resveratrol-fed mice also had improved metabolic health, reduced inflammation, and better motor function.

While no studies have yet demonstrated that resveratrol specifically improves human lifespan, it’s well known that a diet rich in polyphenols is associated with significantly longer lifespan.

Bottom line: Resveratrol has promising results in improving the longevity of several organisms, and it’s known that polyphenol consumption is associated with improved lifespan in humans.

Sources: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15254550/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3799917/

2. Brain health benefits of Resveratrol

Resveratrol, like many other polyphenols, is an extremely powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.These properties give it a number of targeted, organ-specific health benefits.

One of the major benefits of reducing inflammation and oxidative stress is protecting brain health & cognitive function. Resveratrol interferes with the production of protein fragments called beta-amyloids, which are crucial to forming the plaques that are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.

As such, resveratrol protects the brain against the development of Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Additionally, resveratrol has been shown to increase cerebral blood flow. By increasing blood flow to the brain, resveratrol supports a more efficient transportation of oxygen and nutrients to the brain. This increased blood flow improves cognitive function, memory, and learning.

Bottom line: By reducing cellular inflammation in the brain and beyond, resveratrol protects brain cells from oxidative stress and prevents the plaques associated with neurodegenerative disease.

Sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4030174/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25851110/

3. Resveratrol lowers blood pressure

Due to its powerful antioxidant capabilities, resveratrol can be used as a natural supplement for lowering blood pressure.

According to a 2015 review, taking high doses of resveratrol may decrease the pressure that the heart exerts on artery walls during each beat. This is known as systolic blood pressure, and appears as the upper number in blood pressure readings.

Additionally, resveratrol has been shown to improve the function of the endothelium, which is the inner lining of blood vessels. Endothelial dysfunction can lead to high blood pressure, so resveratrol helps improve blood flow and lower blood pressure by relaxing and widening blood vessels.

Resveratrol has also been found to reduce the activity of an enzyme called angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), leading to a decrease in blood pressure.

Bottom line: Studies show that resveratrol can lower blood pressure by decreasing systolic blood pressure, improving endothelial function, and reducing ACE activity.

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8381800/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6539341/

4. Resveratrol as a chemopreventive.

Resveratrol has demonstrated several anti-cancer and chemopreventive mechanisms in clinical studies.

Because the development of tumors and cancer cells is associated with chronic inflammation, the anti-inflammatory capabilities of resveratrol could help prevent the advancement of cancer.

Researchers have seen resveratrol demonstrate more specific anti-cancer benefits, such as:

- Changing gene expression: resveratrol can modulate the expression of cancer cells, thereby preventing tumors.
- Prevent cancer cell replication: a 2015 study shows that resveratrol inhibits the development of prostate cancer cells
-Inhibits angiogenisis: resveratrol prevents the formation of new blood vessels in tumors, preventing the spread of cancer cells.

Bottom Line: Numerous clinical studies have demonstrated specific anti-cancer mechanisms of resveratrol.

Sources: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18586690/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4588085/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2980626/

5. Anti-diabetic effects of Resveratrol

A number of studies have shown that resveratrol can improve insulin sensitivity and reduce blood sugar levels, meaning that resveratrol could be beneficial for those with type 2 diabetes.

Notably, a 2016 study published in the Nutrition & Diabetes found that resveratrol supplementation improved insulin sensitivity and reduced inflammation in overweight and obese individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Additionally, a different study discovered that resveratrol supplementation improved glucose metabolism and reduced oxidative stress in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Besides resveratrol’s well-known antioxidant properties, it’s ability to stop a certain enzyme from turning glucose into sorbitol is beneficial for diabetics. Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol, and when too much builds up in the cells of diabetics, it can cause oxidative damage.

Bottom line: Studies have demonstrated the potential benefit of resveratrol supplementation for individuals with type-2 diabetes.

Sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5983094/ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925443914003196 https://nutritionandmetabolism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12986-017-0217-z