Resveratrol: Possible Drawbacks and Side Effects

Resveratrol, a naturally occurring substance found in fruits and vegetables, has been causing quite a stir within the mainstream medical community, as well as, the alternative health industry. Resveratrol is being marketed as an anti-aging, anti-cancer, and a cardio protective dietary supplement. Thousands of offers of "free trials" of resveratrol can be found on the internet.

Is Resveratrol the "Fountain of Youth?

That has yet to be determined. We would all like to believe that a nutritional supplement can offer the same benefits of a calorie restricted diet, daily exercise, and not smoking. Heck. If I could chow on pizza, sit on my duff, and smoke like a fiend, all while living to be a 120 year old man that looks as god as I do now, you bet I would.

But then reality sets in, like it always does, and looking further into resveratrol research uncovers some inconvenient truths.

Resveratrol research is inconclusive...at best.

Researchers have been conducting experiments with resveratrol on mice and monkeys, as well as, lower life forms such as, flatworms and yeast. Very little research has been done on humans. What research has been done on human cells has been in a petri dish or a test tube. The human body is not a test tube. What works on cells isolated outside of the body might not work as well within the infinite dynamics of the body whole.

Consistent results for resveratrol are difficult to obtain.

Even in the cases of resveratrol research done on mice shows, for example, oral applications of resveratrol might affect tumor production of one sort but not another. What works on the hearts of mice doesn't necessarily show any benefits of disease resistance. Sometimes a topical application shows good results. Sometimes they don't.

Resveratrol dosages for humans are difficult to determine

The amounts given to laboratory mice, that even show any promise, would equate for humans to something near 300 glasses of wine daily. Besides the benefits offset by the damage of all that alcohol, that much fluids in a day would prove fatal to a human being. So, at this point, getting your daily intake of resveratrol is illogical. That doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy that one glass of wine.

Resveratrol affects vitamin and mineral absorption

In the European Journal Nutrition 46: 329-36, 2007, evidence shows that high doses of resveratrol inhibit the absorption of folic acid. As well, even Bill Sardi, a spokesperson for Longevinex tells us it's "not absolutely safe at any dosage." He goes on to explain how super dosing yourself with resveratrol can bring about issues such as anemia, achilles tendonitis, numbness in the fingers, and even anxiety reactions, due to the chelation effect of resveratrol.

Resveratrol research conflicts between researchers.

What is probably the major source of concern for those of us looking into resveratrol, with any serious intent, is that researchers so seldom agree on the results obtained from their research. It would seem that the results of any study seem to change, from study to study, depending on what interest is funding the research. Resveratrol remains an unknown quantity.

Sources:
www.emaxhealth.com/94/22844.html
www.berkeleywellness.com/html/ds/dsResveratrol.php
www.Wikipedia.com