Like many nutrition trends, when resveratrol came on to the scene, it got a fair bit of attention.  Mainly due to it’s anti-oxidative qualities which have been known to fight off nasty cell damaging molecules that cause inflammation.  Although there are plenty of things that are high in anti-oxidant properties, this one in particular caught the attention of researchers because of it’s unique ability to stimulate a certain anti-aging mechanism. Now before I dive deeper into this anti-aging process, let’s take a brief look at what resveratrol is and its many natural health benefits.

So what the heck is resveratrol?

Resveratrol is a naturally occurring compound that’s produced in certain types of plants.  It’s especially common in the skin of red and purple grapes.  The role of resveratrol is to protect the plant from microbial threats such as fungi and bacteria.  Additionally, it helps protect the plant from nutrient deficiencies as well.

So how can resveratrol be beneficial for your health?

Studies show that resveratrol has many health benefits, but the biggest one is it’s potent anti-oxidative property that help stop inflammation.  Researchers believe that resveratrol is able to stop the inflammation by preventing the formation of 2 well-known inflammation triggers - sphingosine kinase and phospholipase D. Stopping this inflammation process has huge health implications because so many serious diseases are caused by chronic inflammation.

But anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects aren’t the only health benefits of resveratrol.  Here are other health benefits of resveratrol:

• Protects your body against obesity and diabetes.

• Lowers risk for blood clotting by improving vasodilation of vessels.

• Lowers “bad” LDL cholesterol.

But as I mentioned before, what scientists are most excited about is resveratrol’s potential anti-aging benefits.

It may sound like a scene from a sci-fi movie, but there are scientists dedicated to finding a drug that slows aging.  Drug companies spend LOTS of money on R&D and seriously think about it…what drug would be the most popular drug EVER!  Yep…anything that keeps you young.  Can you imagine what people will pay for such a drug?  You can just see the sci-fi story line developing as I write this article already…right?

Anyway, apparently there are several drugs being tested that have shown very promising results, and what they’ve discovered is that there is one specific compound responsible for promoting anti-aging processes in the body.  This compound is known as SIRT1.  It’s a a serum that works to increase the production of energy within your cells (via mitochondria) in order to block diseases.  And although there’s been some controversy, some anti-aging dedicated researchers strongly believe that resveratrol can stimulate the production of this specific compound.

It’s pretty exciting stuff.  But it may be quite sometime before anything remotely close to resembling any anti-aging drugs comes onto the market.  And even if it did, I’d be pretty weary, especially of any potential side effects.  You know how those drugs commercials go, they have a good looking actor depicting what your life would be like when you take these drugs, while the friendly voice in the background reads off a laundry list of potentially deadly side effects.  No thanks… I think I’ll stick to real foods with real health benefits with no side effects.  Which brings me to the next questions.  What’s the best source of resveratrol?

Well, you’re going to love this if you’re a wine drinker!  Since the skin of red and purple grapes have a high concentration of resveratrol, red wine is a good source.  That being said, red wine is still alcohol and like all alcohols, it’s metabolized differently than food.  Alcohol changes the way your metabolic priorities makes burning fat much more difficult.  But if you’re going to drink alcohol, red wine is your best choice because of it’s low sugar content and it’s high anti-oxidant (resveratrol).  Having one or two glasses of red wine a night with your dinner is considered reasonable if you like to drink red wine.

But don’t worry if you’re not into red wine, grapes are’t the only foods with resveratrol.  Here are more food choices:

• Pistachios

• Peanuts

• Lingonberries

• Mulberries

• Cranberries

• Blueberries

• Cacao - Dark chocolate!

There are also numerous resveratrol supplements as well.  Like any supplements, make sure that you research the brand before you purchase, so that you know that it’s a reputable source.