We know the dangers of sugar, the issues caused by gluten, the value of vitamin D, or any of the other things nutritionists routinely talk about. All of that stuff is vital, but none of it is as fascinating or important as the amazing science of polyphenols.
Although the science behind them is new, we have started to now understand the power and influence of polyphenols on human health. Among those that have gotten the most focus is resveratrol, a polyphenol that is seen in high concentrations in apples, grapes, plums, blueberries, and peanuts.
Athletes might know the compound for its link to raising testosterone levels, lowering estrogen, reducing fat storage, or how it transforms young muscle cells to grow longer and thicker, but a new paper describes, in great detail, a long list of resveratrol’s other super powers.
Following are some of the high points from the paper:
Diabetes
Resveratrol lowers the blood sugar in both Type 2 and Type 1 diabetics, increases glucose transport, helps with insulin sensitivity, and protects pancreatic cells from inflammation.
Cardiovascular Disease
Some research shows that polyphenol can be anti-hypertensive, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-myocardial ischemia, anti-heart, and anti-stroke in general. It does all these things by helping to increase the bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO), positively affecting lipids, and being a powerful fighter of inflammatory.
Alzheimer’s
One of the factors leading to Alzheimer’s is an excessive creation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), and resveratrol has been revealed to weaken the harm from ROS, in addition to helping to prevent the plaques that are a hallmark of the illness.
Cancer
Resveratrol has been proven to limit cancer cell growth and cell death. It also guards against DNA damage that might lead to cancer.
What Else Do We Know About Resveratrol?
Resveratrol has a very healthy absorption rate of around 70%. However, bioavailability of this compound can still be pretty due to its rapid metabolism in the liver and intestines. That is why taking it in supplement form is best – specifically, one that made to increase bioavailability.
Go for a Resveratrol supplement that is dissolved in lauroyl polyoxyl-32-glycerides, also called gelucire, because this enhances your absorption of the polyphenol.
Author: Scott Dowdy