Resveratrol Health Benefits

Resveratrol and your Heart

Research published by Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine in the American Journal of Physiology, and carried out by a team of researchers led by Gary Meszaros and Joshua Bomser, showed that resveratrol inhibits production of endothelin-1 and it directly affects hearth cells by inhibiting antiotensin II, one of the most powerful vasocontricting hormones in our body.

This hormone is physiologically released by the renin-angiontensin-aldosterone pathway, in response to low blood pressure, and has the effect of increasing blood pressure: in people with hypertension, this causes the heart muscle to undergo hyperplasia, producing more fibroblasts and collagen, which cause the myocardium to stiffen and become more bulky, hindering its pumping activity.

Another effect of resveratrol is the prevention of differentiation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts, which produce lots of collagen.

Cancer Prevention Properties of Resveratrol

While several studies have been carried out on the cancer-preventing action of resveratrol, one of the best was published in the Journal of Applied Toxicology.

Resveratrol Molecule

This study shows how resveratrol protects against benzopyrene (the main carcinogen found in cigarette smoke, and one of the prime causes of lung cancer). Resveratrol apparently blocks a cell receptor (aryl hydrocarbon receptor or AhR) that benzopyrene and several other carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons use to bind to cell membranes. Their binding to AhR causes the expression of several cancer-promoting genes.

This study showed how animals exposed to high levels of benzopyrene underwent significant DNA damage, but the damage was cut in half when they were also given resveratrol. In addition, resveratrol promoted apoptosis (induced cell death) in cancerous cells, which causes cancerous cells to die before having a chance to replicate and become a large tumor.

Other independent studies also suggest a protective effect against liver and breast cancer cells.

Resveratrol and Lung Health

Professor Juan Barros-Dios and his team at the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, published a study carried out on hospital case-controls. A daily glass of white wine provided 20% higher risks of lung cancer, while red wine lowered the risk by 13%, with no effect being linked to consumption of beer and spirits.

It has been hypothesised that the different in effects between red and white wine is linked to red wine's higher concentrations of resveratrol: another study published in the American Journal of Physiology: Lung, Cellular and Molecular Physiology has shown, in fact, that resveratrol can provide a potent anti-inflammatory effect on the cells found in nasal and airway mucosas, blocking several inflammatory molecules, including NF-kB, inducibile nitric oxide synthase and IL-8. It is noteworthy that for NF-kB, resveratrol had a higher inhibiting effect that a commonly used, potent glucocorticoid drug, dexamethasone.

Another effect of resveratrol is inhibition of the production of Cyclooxigenase-2 (COX-2) in airway mucosas: this compound is pro-inflammatory, and is commonly inhibited with drugs like Vioxx and Celebrex. These drugs are being removed from the market due to their tendency of increasing risks of cardiovascular disease, but resveratrol has no such effects, making it a better alternative.

Quoting the researchers: This study demonstrates that resveratrol and quercetin have novel nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory activity that may have applications for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Louise Donnelly, the lead researcher in the study, has begun investigating resveratrol use in an aerosol spray to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma.

Catechins and Epicatechins

Lawrence M. Szewczuk and Trevor M. Penning from the University of Pennsylvania, have pointed out in a study published in the Journal of Natural Products that not only resveratrol is responsible for the health benefits of red wines: other nutrients found in far greater amounts in grapes as well as red wine, catechins and epicatechins, might be due the most credit!

Much of the health promoting effects of resveratrol are carried out by its modifying effect on the activity of cyclooxygenase (both COX-1 and COX-2 have been studied extensively by pharmaceutical companies, in order to develop new drugs with fewer digestive side-effects.

In particular, Resveratrol blocks COX-2 activity through changes in another system of messaging molecules called NF-kappaB and I-kappaB kinase (indirectly), while COX-1 is blocked directly. Catechins and epicatechins, which are present in much greater amounts in grapes as well as red wine, have been proven to have a higher potency in reducing activity of COX-1 and COX-2, in much smaller amounts than resveratrol.

Anti-Aging effect of Resveratrol

It is widely known that the events that lead to cancer are also the same that lead to aging (referring specifically to cell DNA damage).

In a recently published study, resveratrol has been proven to activate Sir2, and enzyme that has been shown to be the cause for increased lifespan in animals places on calorie-restricted diets.

Several studies were carried out on Saccharomyces cerevisiae (the common yeast): its life was extended through calorie restriction, with a biochemical pathway involving Sir2, and it's been proven that overproduction of this enzyme can longer the lifespan of yeast grown with a normal caloric intake. The same results have been observed in the more biologically advanced worm Caenorhabditis elegans.

Sir2 is an enzyme of the family of sirtuins: these enzymes are found in all life forms, including mammals, since they are necessary for the regulation of cell differentiation and death.

Knowing that Sir2 was the main compound responsible for prolonged lifespans in calorie-restricted animals, Howitz et al. wanted to find a molecule that could activate the enzyme directly: they found two molecules, both belonging to plant polyphenols, of which resveratrol was by far the most potent. Resveratrol increased lifespan in yeast by 70%, and the effect was totally related to the increased activation of Sir2 (in fact, yeast lacking the Sir2 enzyme and given resveratrol did not benefit from a prolonged lifespan).

But what about humans? Resveratrol has been found to stimulate sirtuin activity at low doses, but it had the opposite effect at high doses. However, due to the extremely low concentration of resveratrol in food, it is unlikely for a person to ingest too much. Drinking several glasses of grape juice will only yield low doses, and might be just perfect to benefit from resveratrol's health benefits.

Resveratrol as an Anti-Microbial Agent

Research carried out in Turkey, at Erciyes University, found that an extract made from grape seeds, skin and stems had a potent anti-microbial efect against 14 bacteria, including the common Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The extract had bacteriostatic properties against all bacteria at concentrations of 2.5, 5, 10 and 20%. The only bacterium that was uninhibited was Yersinia enterocolica, and only at a concentration of 2.5%.