Have a Glass of Resveratrol
Have a glass of red wine or red grape juice and you’ll protect your body from cardiovascular disease, cancers and even food borne illness. What makes this drink of Bacchus an elixir of good health? Science says resveratrol, a polyphenolic phytochemical that also occurs in berries and peanuts. Recent studies have connected this compound, known for its heart health benefits, to preventive actions against cancer and food-borne illness.
Resveratrol as a Cancer Protector
Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham recently reported in the journal Carcinogenesis that resveratrol reduces the growth of prostate cancer in mice. They added powdered resveratrol—the human equivalent to the amount contained in a bottle of red wine—to the daily diets of a group of male mice that were genetically modified to develop prostate cancer. Starting at five weeks of age, the mice were given the resveratrol-rich diets. When they were seven months old, the resveratrol-fed animals had an 87% decrease in the risk of developing prostate tumors compared to the ones who weren’t. Of the animals who actually developed prostate cancer, their chance of experiencing a reduction in tumor growth was 48% compared with those not given the antioxidant.
This is in line with an earlier study done by University of Alabama researchers that found resveratrol reduced breast cancer risk in mice. More recently, researchers concluded in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry that resveratrol could function as a chemotherapeutic and therapeutic agent to prevent and suppress the spread of human breast cancer cells after they studied the effects of the antioxidant on the activity of three different proteins that are involved in the proliferation of breast cancer: HER-2, HRG-Beta-1 and MMP-9. Specifically, they found that resveratrol stopped activity of MMP-9 through the HER-2 protein, an action that is crucial for maintaining the health of breast cells. They also found that resveratrol inhibited the invasion of breast cells by cancer in the presence of HRG-Beta-1.
Resveratrol as the Bacteria Blocker
The addition of red wine and resveratrol to your daily diet won’t just ward off the big-C diseases, but can help protect you from food-borne illness, according to research presented at the Institute of Food Technologists’ annual conference held in Chicago. Red wines, particularly Cabernet, Pinot Noir and Merlot, were shown to inhibit food borne pathogens including E. coli, Salmonella Typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes and Helicobacter pylori, without harming beneficial probiotic bacteria in the body. The most promising results involved the bacteria H. pylori, which is the bacterium that causes most stomach ulcers. Ethanol (the alcohol that occurs in wine) and resveratrol were separately found to have similar effects.
How Much?
While research is currently trying to determine the optimal dosage of resveratrol that will provide health benefits, the answer isn’t drinking a bottle of wine a day. Luckily, supplementation combined with moderate wine consumption (two glasses a day for men and one glass for women) can provide cancer- and bacteria- fighting benefits.
Tip: When shopping for a resveratrol supplement, note that the amount listed on the front of the label is not necessarily the amount of active resveratrol in the product. You’ll need to look at the Supplement Facts label to learn amount of active, standardized resveratrol you will be getting. For example, the supplement may be labelled as containing 400 mg of resveratrol, but the detailed Supplement Facts label may show that it is standardized to 20%. This means that you are actually getting 20% of 400 mg, or an effective dose of 80 mg. Look for a supplement that provides you with an effective dose of 100-200 mg .
