subject: Resveratrol Use - Is There a Good Reason to Be Cautious? [print this page] Resveratrol use greatly increased in 2006 due to extensive news coverage and despite cautions that benefits to humans are unproven. Maybe that's because people understand that "proving" that something prevents cancer is next to impossible. How would you go about doing that?
Let's see. You could choose a group of random children, who had a family history of cancer, and start giving them a supplement when they were four or five. Then you could choose a group of children who would not receive the supplement. Over the course of their lifetime, which could be 100 years or more, assuming that they avoid traffic accidents or other causes of death, you could watch these people grow.
Of course, the research would have to be passed on from one scientist to another, because the kids would surely outlive the ones who initiated the study. But, when those people finally succumbed to disease or simply died of old age, we should be able to say definitively that Resveratrol use prevented cancer in those who received supplements, but maybe not.
Suppose some of them started smoking or were exposed to toxins that increased their risk of cancer. Suppose some of them ate only organic food and focused on their overall health, throughout their lives. How could anyone consider all of these variables and come to a definite conclusion? It's simply not possible.
Some practitioners in the mainstream medical community warn that no one knows what negative side affects could accompany Resveratrol use. In many cases, I feel that the mainstream medical community is overly concerned about natural substances and under concerned about synthetic drugs and the detrimental side effects that accompany them. They talk about benefits outweighing risks. But, what are the risks of eating too many blueberries?
The highest Resveratrol contents are found in red wines from Spain. It is true that there are negative affects caused by consuming too much alcohol, but the supplements are non-alcoholic. So, it would simply be equivalent to eating blueberries, red grapes, boiled peanuts, bilberries and other foods that contain them.
With the obesity epidemic on the rise, an increased risk of heart disease, and one out of every three people developing some form of cancer, it is in our best interests to do everything that we can to protect our health. Scientific researchers are doing their best to let us know about all of the natural substances, many of which are found in plants that can help us do just that.
Resveratrol use certainly cannot hurt you. Of course, the quality of supplements varies.
The antioxidant is negatively affected by stomach acid and should be coated to allow it to reach the upper intestine, where it can enter the bloodstream and be used by the cells of the body. It should also be combined with other nutrients and extracts that enhance the absorption and affect of the nutrient.
Maybe we can keep our own records of how Resveratrol use enhanced our lives and lengthened our life spans.
That's what I'm planning to do.
Resveratrol Use - Is There a Good Reason to Be Cautious?
