Maurice Boscorelli
Senior Member
- Joined
- May 30, 2010
- Messages
- 19,322
Adapted from by Dr. Jonny Bowden and Jeannette Bessinger, the Clean Food Coach™. Find out more at [/B][/I][/URL]
Want to live longer? Eat less.
Sorry, don’t kill the messenger. Calorie restriction is the only strategy that has been consistently shown to extend life in every species studied so far. Feed rats about 1/3 less than they normally eat and faster than you can say “Methuselah”, they live approximately 50% longer than their normal lifespan. It’s worked in yeast, fruit flies, mice, the aforementioned rats, and- most recently- in rhesus monkeys.
And though the likelihood of a long-term human trial comparing “free-eating” and “calorie restricted” subjects over a couple of decades is pretty remote, all indications are that reducing calories would extend life in our own species just as it does in every other one that’s been studied.
So that’s simple, enough, right? Just reduce your calories by about 33%. Result: a nice long healthy life. OK, class dismissed, lesson learned.
Yeah, riiightttt. As you can imagine, that particular strategy is not winning the popularity sweepstakes.
Which is why there’s been so much attention focused on a little plant chemical called resveratrol.
To understand exactly how resveratrol exerts its “anti-aging magic”, we have to go back to those calorically deprived rats. Apparently, caloric restriction turns on a set of genes known as the sirtuin genes, which are considered to be major influencers of how long we live. “The sirtuin genes are the holy grail of medicine and nutrition”, says my good friend Mark Houston, MD. “These genes turn on or turn off different metabolic pathways that are designed to promote longevity and health”.
Back in 2003, David Sinclair, MD- a professor and researcher at Harvard Medical School- began investigating the sirtuin genes and- to everyone’s delight- discovered that there was another way to turn on these genes, one that wouldn’t require you to starve yourself. He and his associates published a now-famous paper reporting that plant compounds known as polyphenols could activate the human SIRT1 gene. And the polyphenol that seemed to do this best was resveratrol.
Ah, the plot thickens.
Resveratrol is found in red wine, the skin of young unripe red grapes, grape seeds, purple grape juice, and- to a lesser extent- in peanuts and mulberries. And it may turn out to be the closest thing we have at present to an anti-aging elixir. Science and business are taking resveratrol very seriously. In 2004, a company formed to commercialize Sinclair’s research and develop drugs that work with the body’s own defenses against aging. That company- Siritis- was purchased by drug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline in June 2008 for the nifty sum of $720 million.
That may turn out to be a bargain. If resveratrol lives up to its promise, it may not only extend life, but also improve its quality. Resveratrol has been shown in studies to inhibit the growth of several cancer cell lines and tumors. It’s also a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. It ramps up detoxification enzymes in the liver (making it easier for your body to get rid of carcinogens) and protects the heart through a number of different mechanisms. It also protects neurons (brain cells). Recent research has even shown that it may reduce insulin resistance, a key factor in metabolic syndrome and type ll Diabetes.
So should you add resveratrol to your daily supplement regimen? I certainly think so, and I’m not alone. But before you run out and grab the first bottle you see at the mall, consider that every product with “resveratrol” on the label is not created equal. The total amount of resveratrol in a capsule isn’t as important as the amount of trans-resveratrol, the particularly potent and bioactive form that seems to have all the benefit. Trans-resveratrol is what you need to pay attention to.
The higher quality resveratrol products on the market are “standardized” for a certain percentage of trans-resveratrol. For example, let’s say a 500mg resveratrol capsule is “standardized for 20% trans-resveratrol” (a common configuration). A 500 mg pill of resveratrol, standardized for 20% “trans” will deliver 100 mg of the potent trans-resveratrol form (20% of 500mg =100mg). That’s the number you should pay attention to.
So how much resveratrol do you actually need to get the anti-aging and life-extension effects shown in the lab? “No one knows the correct dose in humans”, says Dr. Houston, “but any amount should have health benefits”. The smart money is betting that 250 mg or more of the “trans-resveratrol” form should have an effect on aging and health. For 500mg capsules standardized to 20% trans that would be 2 ½ capsules a day, 3 just to be safe!
No one I know claims that taking resveratrol will counter the life-shortening effects of a terrible diet, smoking and lack of exercise. But if you’re doing everything else right, a high-quality resveratrol supplement may just give you a real edge in the longevity sweepstakes.
Meanwhile, do as the French do- drink some red wine. And if you’re not a wine drinker- or even if you are- eat some nice dark grapes.
As my grandmother used to say, “Couldn’t hurt!”
Want to live longer? Eat less.
Sorry, don’t kill the messenger. Calorie restriction is the only strategy that has been consistently shown to extend life in every species studied so far. Feed rats about 1/3 less than they normally eat and faster than you can say “Methuselah”, they live approximately 50% longer than their normal lifespan. It’s worked in yeast, fruit flies, mice, the aforementioned rats, and- most recently- in rhesus monkeys.
And though the likelihood of a long-term human trial comparing “free-eating” and “calorie restricted” subjects over a couple of decades is pretty remote, all indications are that reducing calories would extend life in our own species just as it does in every other one that’s been studied.
So that’s simple, enough, right? Just reduce your calories by about 33%. Result: a nice long healthy life. OK, class dismissed, lesson learned.
Yeah, riiightttt. As you can imagine, that particular strategy is not winning the popularity sweepstakes.
Which is why there’s been so much attention focused on a little plant chemical called resveratrol.
To understand exactly how resveratrol exerts its “anti-aging magic”, we have to go back to those calorically deprived rats. Apparently, caloric restriction turns on a set of genes known as the sirtuin genes, which are considered to be major influencers of how long we live. “The sirtuin genes are the holy grail of medicine and nutrition”, says my good friend Mark Houston, MD. “These genes turn on or turn off different metabolic pathways that are designed to promote longevity and health”.
Back in 2003, David Sinclair, MD- a professor and researcher at Harvard Medical School- began investigating the sirtuin genes and- to everyone’s delight- discovered that there was another way to turn on these genes, one that wouldn’t require you to starve yourself. He and his associates published a now-famous paper reporting that plant compounds known as polyphenols could activate the human SIRT1 gene. And the polyphenol that seemed to do this best was resveratrol.
Ah, the plot thickens.
Resveratrol is found in red wine, the skin of young unripe red grapes, grape seeds, purple grape juice, and- to a lesser extent- in peanuts and mulberries. And it may turn out to be the closest thing we have at present to an anti-aging elixir. Science and business are taking resveratrol very seriously. In 2004, a company formed to commercialize Sinclair’s research and develop drugs that work with the body’s own defenses against aging. That company- Siritis- was purchased by drug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline in June 2008 for the nifty sum of $720 million.
That may turn out to be a bargain. If resveratrol lives up to its promise, it may not only extend life, but also improve its quality. Resveratrol has been shown in studies to inhibit the growth of several cancer cell lines and tumors. It’s also a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. It ramps up detoxification enzymes in the liver (making it easier for your body to get rid of carcinogens) and protects the heart through a number of different mechanisms. It also protects neurons (brain cells). Recent research has even shown that it may reduce insulin resistance, a key factor in metabolic syndrome and type ll Diabetes.
So should you add resveratrol to your daily supplement regimen? I certainly think so, and I’m not alone. But before you run out and grab the first bottle you see at the mall, consider that every product with “resveratrol” on the label is not created equal. The total amount of resveratrol in a capsule isn’t as important as the amount of trans-resveratrol, the particularly potent and bioactive form that seems to have all the benefit. Trans-resveratrol is what you need to pay attention to.
The higher quality resveratrol products on the market are “standardized” for a certain percentage of trans-resveratrol. For example, let’s say a 500mg resveratrol capsule is “standardized for 20% trans-resveratrol” (a common configuration). A 500 mg pill of resveratrol, standardized for 20% “trans” will deliver 100 mg of the potent trans-resveratrol form (20% of 500mg =100mg). That’s the number you should pay attention to.
So how much resveratrol do you actually need to get the anti-aging and life-extension effects shown in the lab? “No one knows the correct dose in humans”, says Dr. Houston, “but any amount should have health benefits”. The smart money is betting that 250 mg or more of the “trans-resveratrol” form should have an effect on aging and health. For 500mg capsules standardized to 20% trans that would be 2 ½ capsules a day, 3 just to be safe!
No one I know claims that taking resveratrol will counter the life-shortening effects of a terrible diet, smoking and lack of exercise. But if you’re doing everything else right, a high-quality resveratrol supplement may just give you a real edge in the longevity sweepstakes.
Meanwhile, do as the French do- drink some red wine. And if you’re not a wine drinker- or even if you are- eat some nice dark grapes.
As my grandmother used to say, “Couldn’t hurt!”
