In Search of the Fountain of Youth

There’s been a lot of buzz surrounding the nutrient Resveratrol lately. It was recently featured on the Oprah Show by Dr. Oz and in January 2009, 60 minutes featured an in-depth report on its benefits. Both shows spoke of reservatrol’s ability to slow and even reverse certain aspects of aging. If you have 20 minutes I suggest you watch this 60 minutes’ report or read on and I’ll summarize it for you

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Resveratrol’s benefits for heart health have been known for years. As a matter of fact, 17 years ago 60 Minutes aired an episode on the French Paradox (watch the video here.) The French Paradox suggested that despite their diets high in cheese and wine the French had lower incidence of heart disease when compared with Americans.

But new studies conducted by Harvard University have found that Resveratol does more than just help maintain a healthy heart; it may hold the key to longevity. Scientists found reservatol triggers a survival mechanism in a gene that extends life.

This gene, and its survival mechanism, is found in almost every living being. In studies when Resveratrol was given to mice in high concentration scientist found it significantly extended life by preventing a number of illnesses. Further, these results are the exact same results obtained from the most effective diet in the world for anti-aging to date – the Calorie Restriction diet.

The calorie restriction diet dramatically limits the intake of calories while maintaining a nutrient dense diet. This diet has been studied since the early 1930s and has not only extended the lifespan of laboratory animals but has also reduced the incidence of virtually all diseases of aging such as:

Cancer

Heart Disease

Diabetes

Auto-immune disorders

Neurological decline

Alzheimer’s Disease

Parkinson’s Disease

Osteoporosis

Read more about the studies here.

What’s most exciting about this new discovery is the ability for Resveritrol to mimic caloric restriction without actually having to restrict caloric intake. Certainly taking a supplement would be far more appealing than drastically reducing calorie intake – perfect for us food loving Americans

Resveratrol is found in foods such as red wine, grapes, blueberries, and the highest content can be found in peanuts. However, in order to get a high concentration of this nutrient and obtain the benefits found in the studies one would have to consume large quantities of wine and other food.

The Life Extension Foundation, a global authority on nutrition, health and wellness, recommends 20 - 250 mg. per day. In order to get 1-3 mg. of resveratrol you would need to drink 1 liter of wine. To get the median of 135 mg. you would have to drink 45 liters of wine – per day.

Clearly this is a hard feat to accomplish and highlights the importance of supplementation. Even Dr. Oz suggested in Oprah’s episode that in addition to a good multi-vitamin one should be taking Resveratrol to provide their body with this anti-aging, disease fighting nutrient.

The good news is that since there’s so much buzz surrounding Resveratrol you will have lots of opportunity to purchase some for yourself. The bad news is that many of the resveratrol formulas will more than likely isolate Resveratrol thereby leaving out the other synergistic vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients that it needs to be most effective. For this reason you will want to consider purchasing a whole food formula when purchasing your fountain of youth

Purchasing a whole food formula will provide you with the best resveratrol available. I recommend Young Living’s True Source Multi-vitamin. Young Living’s True Source multi-vitamin is made from nutrient-dense super fruits, vegetables, and other plants. It includes grape extract and resveratrol ensuring the full spectrum of synergistic nutrients to provide you with optimum health benefits. And all of this is delivered to you in easy to take daily packs.

Learn more about True Source multi-vitamins here……

These new findings are exciting and certainly science is well on its way to finding that elusive fountain of youth!

Sources: Growing Evidence Links Resveratrol to Extended Life Span – Life Extension Magazine March 2007 Fountain of Youth In a Wine Rx - CBSNews

Recommended Reading The Longevity Factor: How Resveratrol and Red Wine Activate Genes for a Longer and Healthier Life