Research is still on about resveratrol and whether it can be effective in what was touted 10 years ago, citing the French factor. The French have low heart disease cases and that was directly responsible for the large amounts of red wine they drink. Resveratrol is contained in the skins of red grapes.

Later day studies have also proved that resveratrol is an antioxidant and can be effective in stalling the aging process or at least not speeding it up. Researchers and noted medical practitioners felt it can hunt out the ageing gene and then make it ineffective, while some among them also felt resveratrol could change the very basis of healthcare.

Dr. Oz and Dr. Nicholas Perricone agree that antioxidants can repair the damaged skins and also impede the aging process leading to a more radiant and softer looking skin.

Scientists and researches are of the view that the health benefits from resveratrol are much higher than any other vitamins. They feel unanimously that the onset of old age could recede with the use of resveratrol in the form of condensed vitamins. Dr. Christoph Westfall of Sirtris felt that the goal of researchers is to forestall the diseases that usually affect people, when they are in their 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. With the promise that this compound found in grape plants has shown, then the nature of healthcare as it is understood now could also undergo a sea change.

Tested on mice to check on the beneficial properties as it is yet to be tested on humans, has yielded great results. During the study, two mice were made to run on small treadmills and the one, who was on resveratrol, ran faster than the other even though it was fatter than the other mouse that was not administered resveratrol. As news of the findings came out and the media lapped it up, resveratrol became an instant hit in print and online.

News spread like fire and the nation got hooked to it with famous people coming on television screens and the YouTube talking volumes about it.

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Red Wine, one of the many resveratrol sources

Found in red grape skins, resveratrol is a compound belonging to a branch of oriental medicine that is used to cure liver, heart and blood vessel related diseases. Being of very recent origin it has already become popular for being an effective anti-oxidant.

Resveratrol and its benefits came into focus only four years ago when a survey conducted revealed that the French rarely suffer from heart problems. Being the largest consumers of red wine, risk of heart disease among them is considerably less. In the making of red wine, the skins also go in adding to their red color. Low rate of heart problems among the French was more remarkable given their passion for high fat diets. It was found the red wine or the skins of red grapes that contain the compound resveratrol, led to the low incidence of heart diseases.

Resveratrol is not only present in the skins of red grapes, but is also found in plants like lilies, eucalyptus, spruce and present in peanuts and mulberries. But it is present abundantly in the seeds, vines, root and stalks of wine growing grapes with a high concentration in the skins of grapes. Studies have found that the concentration in the skin is extremely high. It is a part of the grape plant’s antibiotic compound to prevent diseases and fungus. It has been found the fungus in grape plants can be high in cooler climates where the resveratrol concentration is also higher.

Much of the skin remains in red wine production to lend the red color to the wines. Resveratrol content in red wine is higher as the skins remain all along during the fermentation process. But in non fermented grape products like grape juice, there is not much resveratrol present. This finding about red wines and the French have been taken with the low incidence of heart attacks and coronary diseases among general red wine drinkers.

Resveratrol has been proved to be an anti oxidant that is much more effective than Vitamins C and E.  Platelet forms less due to resveratrols as have found from tests done in artificial environments.

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