Resveratol...The key to losing weight?

Resveratol is a polyphenol, a naturally occurring highly powerful antioxidant, that affects energy metabolism and mitochondrial function and studies have shown acts to mimic calorie restriction.

Resveratol is a molecule found in small amounts in the skin of foods like grapes, and that many plants produce in times of stress. A potent source of resveratol is found in Japanese knotweed, a perennial plant native to East Asia which has been used for centuries as a herbal remedy to boost circulation and restore heart health.

Dr David Sinclair, Harvard Medical scientist and on TIME’s 100 most influential people and colleagues did some ground breaking research on the positive benefits of resveratol which served as evidence that resveratol can give the benefits of calorie restriction without having to go hungry. Low calorie diets activate pathways in our bodies which support better health, disease resistance and longer lifespan and molecules such as resveratol can mimic these effects. They argued that “These data show that improving general health in mammals using small molecules (such as resveratol) is an attainable goal, and point to new approaches for treating obesity-related disorders and diseases of ageing.”

Other researchers have gone on to show in hundreds of published studies that resveratol has:

*Reduced inflammation and oxidative stress in healthy people

*Improved in memory tasks for obese, but otherwise healthy 50-75 year olds.

*Improved metabolic and cardiovascular markers, in people with obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease and cardiovascular disease.

*Significantly reduced weight, BMI and fat mass and increased lean mass (based on a meta-analysis of 56 randomised control trials.)

While it is present in many foods, resveratol’s bioavailability is poor, making it hard to get a therapeutic dose from food alone. The recommended dosage ranges from 100 milligrams to 1 gram a day. A five ounce glass of red wine which is touted as being a good source of resveratol contains a small amount of approximately 1.8 grams. Therefore supplementation is the key to get an effective dose of this healthy molecule. Click the learn more button to find out more about a resveratol supplement.