Resveratrol - Cancer Fighting Antioxidants
Recent scientific research points out that resveratrol, an antioxidant that’s found in grapes and blueberries, can weaken pancreatic cancer cells, increasing their susceptibility to chemo and radiation therapy.
A leading researcher, Paul Okunieff of the University of Rochester Medical Center, says that resveratrol makes the cells more sensitive to radiation, while making normal cells more resistant to the treatments. In a published study, Okunieff and his colleagues dosed a group of cancer cells with 50 milligrams of resveratrol, then they iodized them, which simulates the effects of chemotherapy. A control group of cancer cells was iodized without getting resveratrol first.
Pancreatic cancer has a long history of being chemo-resistant. Scientists have discovered that the digestive enzymes produced by the pancreas act to “wash away” the chemotherapy medications before they have a chance to work. However, in the treated cells, the membrane proteins that do the “cleansing” were inhibited. As they became more sensitive to chemo, the cancer cells were more likely to die.
While the mechanism behind the decreased flushing action wasn’t known, it may be a new side effect of resveratrol usage. The inner workings of the cancer cells were ruined. The mitochondria, the main energy source of the cancer cells, were damaged, hampering the function of the cells and leading to their demise.
Resveratrol, occurring naturally in red wine, has garnered a lot of attention from the scientific and medical communities. People want to know if it is the chemical responsible for the established health benefits of the wine. As is the case with all antioxidants, resveratrol removes free radicals from the blood. Free radicals are a cancer-causing agent, and they also contribute to aging and heart disease.
Resveratrol also has other effects. Studies have shown that the chemical extends the lifespan of organisms like yeast, worms, and fish. The fish that got the resveratrol lived up to fifty percent longer than the fish that didn’t get the potent antioxidant. The treated fish also swam more efficiently, and had greater cognitive ability at the end of their lives. Other studies have shown that resveratrol is also an antifungal/antibacterial, and it can make HIV cells more vulnerable to antiviral drugs. In cells infected with the flu virus, resveratrol reduced their reproductive ability by 90%.
It has also been shown in mice to improve stamina, and to somewhat neutralize the detrimental nature of a high-fat diet. Mice who got the high-fat diet and resveratrol had one-third less likelihood of death than the mice who only got the diet without the resveratrol dosage. This death rate is approximately that of mice eating a normal diet.
There’s quite a bit of research that suggests resveratrol’s various benefits, from preventing skin and esophageal cancer in mice, and it’s been shown under certain circumstances to kill off human fat cells.
the highest natural concentration of resveratrol is found in the skins of red grapes. Peanuts are also a good source, containing about half as much resveratrol as the grapes. Blueberries and other berries contain about 10% as much. The wine’s resveratrol content varies by grape variety, growing location, and length of fermentation. The upper limit is generally thought to be about 30 mg per milliliter. While lower than the dose used in the studies, this amount still could be beneficial in the fight against cancer.
The highest concentrations of resveratrol are found in grape skins. Peanuts contain about half as much resveratrol as grapes, while blueberries and bilberries contain only about 10 percent as much.
Resveratrol has a very promising future as a cancer and heart disease fighter. With all the excitement surrounding it, we definitely haven’t heard the last of it!
Most Frequently Asked Resveratrol Question:
In the past, we've done our best to keep resveratrol products off of this site, but we kept receiving the same emails every day, asking us which resv supplement we recommended.
In light of the massive interest, we felt the need to pull some strings and get with one of the top product suppliers. Thankfully, we found one that was nice enough to offer our visitors a risk-free sample of their high-quality resveratrol product. Supplies are quite limited, and considering how popular resveratrol currently is, they will go fast!
