subject: Trans Resveratrol Shown To Be More Readily Absorbed Than Resveratrol [print this page] Since the 1990s when it was first isolated from the skins of red wine grapes, the potent, polyphenolic antioxidant compound responsible for the heart protection that red wine gives the French has been the subject of a multitude of research studies. Studies have found that this substance not only has beneficial actions for the cardiovascular system but also provides protection from cancer.
This compound, discovered in the 1990s, is resveratrol. For years, medical science had wondered why the French, who eat way more dietary fat than those in the United States, suffer a low rate of cardiovascular disease. Dubbed the French Paradox, it appears that the compound resveratrol may be the answer to this puzzle. Not only is this substance found in red wine grapes, but is also abundant in other foods such as grape juice and peanuts. One of the richest sources of resveratrol is the common weed, Japanese knotweed.
Numerous studies have shown that resveratrol has powerful antioxidant properties that stop free radical damage. Free radicals are capable of starting chain reactions of oxidative stress that wreak havoc on cells and tissues throughout the body. Cancer may be initiated when free radicals disrupt the DNA found in the nucleus of cells. This leads to abnormal cell division and, once out of control, cancer develops. Studies have shown that resveratrol has the ability to stop cancer promotion.
One form of resveratrol, trans resveratrol, has been shown to be more readily absorbed into the human body. This ability to pass more easily into the system can boost the effects of this potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer substance. Laboratory studies have confirmed that trans resveratrol has the ability to slow down the aging process. Scientists have determined that many of the signs of aging, including debilitating diseases, are caused by the actions of free radicals and slowed by antioxidants and trans resveratrol.
