Health Articles And Advice

The largest source of resveratrol which is actually an antioxidant produced by certain plants as a reaction to environmental stress is grapes. Actually, the skin of grapes contains this phytoalexin in abundance. This is the reason why the resveratrol content is more in red wine.

Wine which is produced from grapes is thus a good source of resveratrol. It is found more in red wine than in the white wine. This is due to the fact that the skins of grapes which are the main source of resveratrol is left longer during fermentation while processing and preparing red wine than the white wine.

Although it is all at the experimental stage, resveratrol shows a huge potential in the treatment of coronary diseases and cancer. Research is being conducted extensively to find out how best this antioxidant can be used to fight these more common but deadly diseases. □

Sources of resveratrol are mainly grapes. In the grapes, it is found more in the skin than the seeds and stalk. It is found in lesser quantities in plants like lily, spruce and eucalyptus. Resveratrol is also found in sufficient quantities in mulberries and peanuts. Grapes being predominantly used in preparation of wine, resveratrol can be found in considerable quantities in wine.

On arid areas of land grapes do not have a large amount of this antioxidant. This is because there are chances of fewer fungal diseases infecting the skin of the grapes here.

Resveratrol has found to inhibit formation of free radicals as it is a powerful antioxidant. This proves to be helpful during the initial stages of tumor formation. Resveratrol also shows potential in inhibition of cyclooxygenase - 1. Cyclooxygenase is an enzyme which promotes the formation of pro inflammatory substances by converting arachidonic acid. These substances are the root cause for stimulating the growth of tumor cells.

Polygonum Cuspidatum commonly known as the Japanese Knotweed is also a good source of naturally occurring resveratrol.

However, as with all substances, it is prudent to wait for further research and analysis before using this antioxidant as a sure treatment or preventive measure for any condition. Though resveratrol displays a very strong positive potential in certain conditions like coronary disease and cancer, there is a long way to go before it can be determined whether these diseases can be helped with this antioxidant or not.

Resveratrol is a very prospective cure for some major ailments like stroke and cancer. However, extensive research is under way and we soon hope for results. Information on what is happening on this front is available on the internet. There are various sites offering information and updates on the research front. It is interesting to study about this wonder antioxidant as of now. It is prudent to wait for conclusive evidence before taking it as a preventive measure or as a curative for any ailment.

There is no harm however in taking natural grapes, peanuts, blueberries and such known to contain resveratrol in reasonable quantities rather than taking supplements that contain resveratrol, or in powder and patch forms.