It's been on TV, in magazines and all over the internet, but how helpful is resveratrol to your health, really? What people need to realize is that there is no single compound or nutrient that is most important to the human body.
There are dozens of different nutrients that should be included in everyone's daily diet.
This article looks at a few of them.
Curcumin Curcumin is responsible for the health benefits of the spice plant turmeric.
Research has shown that it has anti-oxidant, anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial activity.
But, of greatest interest, in the area of life extension and the prevention of chronic diseases, is curcumin's anti-inflammatory activity.
Chronic or systematic inflammation is one of the causes of cellular aging.
Proanthocyanidins Proanthocyanidins are found in a variety of different plants, including pine bark and grape seeds.
They are also found in red wine.
If the question of how helpful is resveratrol to your health comes up, some researchers believe that it is not responsible for the health benefits of red wine (which include a reduced risk of heart disease) but that those are largely due to proanthocyanidins.
Catechins Found only in green tea and some kinds of cocoa, catechins are unique antioxidants that are lacking in most people's diet.
Antioxidants of all kinds are beneficial to human health.
They neutralize damaging free radicals, one of the other causes of cellular aging.
According to the US FDA, there is convincing evidence that green tea catechins help reduce the risk of breast and prostate cancer.
Anthocyanins Found in a variety of different berries, anthocyanins are also antioxidants.
They support vascular health, improve blood flow and lower blood sugar levels.
They are recommended for night blindness and other eye diseases.
So, how helpful is resveratrol to your health when compared to anthocyanins or other antioxidants? The benefits are similar.
Glutathione Of all of the antioxidants known to man, glutathione is the most potent.
It is present in a wide variety of foods, but dietary intake does not correlate with levels in the bloodstream.
The body makes it from L-cysteine, an amino acid.
Because the body can produce it, it is not commonly included in dietary supplements, but research indicates that increased intake of the reduced form of glutathione is highly beneficial, more so than eating more foods that contain it.
SAM-e So far, we have looked at two of the main causes of cellular aging, but there is another problem; inefficient or inadequate methylation.
SAM-e is the most effective methylating agent that there is.
When it comes to the question of how helpful is resveratrol to your health, it doesn't hold a candle to SAM-e.
Carnosine Carnosine is the only nutrient known to inhibit glycation, which causes more damage than free radicals.
Glycation contributes to age-related disorders of all kinds.
It even causes wrinkles.
The best quality nutritional supplements contain all of the nutrients mentioned here, as well as resveratrol, because there is one unique benefit of the nutrient that has not been seen with others.
It acts to keep levels of tumor necrosis factor, a chemical that plays a role in cancer and other diseases, in check.
So, how helpful is resveratrol to your health? It is one of the important nutrients that may help us live longer, healthier lives.