subject: Resveratrol - A Critical Ingredient In Heart Health And Weight Management [print this page] Bad news..Bad news... my vet informed my people that I gained a little weight over the winter months. Frankly, so have my adult humans (but I'm not pointing any paws). As if the fact that I'm getting older were not enough... now I have to be concerned with my weight and -- naturally -- it's effect on my cardiovascular health.
Well, as you might well imagine, I wasted no time in finding out what the health experts suggest for just such a predicament. Know what I found? Yep, you gussed it -- Resveratrol.
So just what is Resveratrol? Great question (even if I did ask it myself). Resveratrol is a key element that solved a once mysterious quandary known as the "French Paradox." And what is the French Paradox, you say? Goodness I love your inquisitive nature. Well, let me answer a question with a question. Have you ever wondered how the French manage to stay thin, youthful, and heart healthy despite their consumption of foods high in saturated fats and oils (is that why French cuisine is so yummy)? Well, a number of scientists who studied this odd phenomena had been wondering the same thing. In their research, they discovered that one important reason for the French Paradox was the amount of Resveratrol naturally included in the typical French diet (in the form of red wine -- which goes wonderfully with cheese and other tasty dishes... or so I hear).
That brings us back to my original question, what is Resveratrol? And the answer is that resveratrol is a phytoalexin or antimicrobial substance produced naturally in plants (like grapes or the root of the plant know as kojo-kon, the source of most supplemental resveratrol) to combat infections from fungus and other microbial threats that attack plants. Turns out that Resveratrol also has powerful antioxidant powers which promote cardiovascular health and slow the aging process in humans (and, I regret to say, mice).
But what's that have to do with weight management? Well, studies indicate that Resveratrol appears to stimulate a gene (known as SiRT1) in the body that mimics the results of a diet with caloric restriction by creating small increases in the metabolic rate of the cells throughout the body. The SiRT1 gene is believed to also be responsible for lifespan extension and, in studies with mice, resveratrol's interaction with the gene, appears to have had positive effects in this regard as well (my tall female human will be most delighted by this news).
Equally, Resveratrol helps to maintain healthy cholesterol levels (which is key, of course, to cardiovascular health). So, fair members, it is now clear to this kat why Dr. Rodier considers Resveratrol to be one of the fundamental supplements he recommends. It's important to note too, that the good doctor would also be the first to remind us that proper diet and exercise are also important factors in weight management and overall health.
