Resveratrol - Resveratrol as a substitute of Aspirin for Heart Health

Resveratrol, an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory substance created by a variety of plants, starting from vines to peanuts and pine trees. Resveratrol has been used in Asian medicine for hundreds of years, especially in liver and heart problem treatments. Resveratrol helps lower cholesterol, and is as much as 10 to 20 times more potent than vitamin E in protecting against LDL oxidation. Further studies of resveratrol revealed that it helps prevent blood clots by keeping blood vessels open and pliable.
 
Source of Resveratrol

Resveratrol is found in the stems, leaves, and skins of grapes. Although a glass or two of red wine each day may lower the risk of heart disease, one recent study shows that alcohol-free red wine works just as well. Resveratrol is also present in purple grape juice, red or purple grapes, and peanuts. However, because of the fermenting process, resveratrol levels are higher in red wine than other natural sources red wine has about three times as much resveratrol as grape juice.

Resveratrol Benefits

Today resveratrol is being considered one of the main beneficial elements found in red wine. Studies have shown that red wine, especially resveratrol, can help prevent colds, increase the levels of HDL (good) cholesterol, lower the risk of Alzheimer's, reduce the size and number of fat cells in the body, reduce the risk of prostate cancer, and has anti-inflammatory properties to boot.

Resveratrol and Hearth Health   

Resveratrol  is known to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antimutagenic, anticancer, neuroprotective, and antiaging properties. As a bonus, it may also beat aspirin at its own game in terms of cardiovascular protection. Resveratrol protect heart health by limiting the effects of cardiac fibrosis, a hardening of the heart tissue, finds new animal research. However research showing that resveratrol has a major impact on heart health could see increasing interest in its use as a supplement.

Resveratrol and Women's Health

Some studies in women regarding the consumption of alcohol and risk of breast cancer found an increase of this type of cancer in women who consume at least one drink daily. According to a report by the American Cancer Society in 2004 there was an increase of 30% in the death rate from breast cancer in women who would drink alcohol daily. This confounding information aside consumption of one or two drinks per day is associated with a reduction in risk of approximately 30 to 50 percent in coronary heart disease. Heart disease being the overwhelming number one killer of woman annually makes it the major target. So wine consumption has an overall positive effect on death rates in the female population.

Resveratrol and Cancer

One of the other aspects that recommend resveratrol as a good anti cancer agent is the fact that it combats linoleic acid. The acid, found in most western diets, transforms to hormone like substances that stimulate cancer growth.  Resveratrol enhances the ability of the vitamin D to inhibit the fast rate growth of cancer cells, thus stopping the spread of the disease.

Resveratrol remains a new ingredient to the supplement industry and is not currently supplied by European grape products companies. There are some resveratrol supplements available in the US although European industry remains wary over its regulatory status. Resveratrol supplements are also now available, and are usually combined with grape extracts or other antioxidants. To get the health benefits of red wine without the negative impact of alcohol, you can purchase resveratrol and mixed red wine polyphenols in capsules. One capsule of red wine polyphenols is approximately equal to the polyphenol content of one bottle of wine.