Resveratrol

You may have heard of the French paradox. The national diet of France includes a lot of butter, cream, meat, and other high-fat, high-cholesterol foods suspected to be bad for the heart. Yet France has one of the worlds lowest rates of heart disease. One theory attempting to explain this puzzle suggests that the French are somehow protected from cardiovascular disease because they drink red wine. Resveratrol is an ingredient of red wine that may be at least partly responsible for this beneficial effect. (Quercetin is another such ingredient.) Resveratrol is a polyphenol, a natural antioxidant that protects cells against dangerous, naturally occurring substances known as free radicals. Resveratrol has a chemical structure similar to that of the synthetic estrogenic hormone diethylstilbestrol and has estrogenic effects. This could explain why test-tube and observational studies have linked resveratrol to reduced rates of heart disease and some forms of cancer. However, estrogenic effects could also lead to increased risk of breast cancer. Unfortunately, there hasnt been any clinical research on human beings yet.

Resveratrol is not an essential nutrient. It is found in red wine as well as in red grape skins and seeds and purple grape juice. Peanuts also contain a small amount of resveratrol. Resveratrol supplements are available as well.

Because there havent been any clinical studies, the optimal therapeutic dosage hasnt been established for resveratrol. Based on animal studies, a reasonable therapeutic dosage of resveratrol might be about 500 mg daily.

Very preliminary evidence suggests that resveratrol may help prevent heart disease, although some studies have not been favorable. Test-tube studies also suggest that resveratrol might have a number of properties that might make it helpful for preventing cancer.

Resveratrol has estrogenic effects and, according to one study, might stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells. For this reason, it should be avoided by pregnant or nursing women as well as women who have had breast cancer or are at high risk of developing it. Combination therapy with prescription estrogen is not recommended. Maximum safe dosages for children, pregnant or nursing women, or those with severe liver or kidney disease have not been determined.