Resveratrol Side Effects, Benefits, Dosage, and Research Information - My Resveratrol Experience

Appetite and Resveratrol: Calories in Vs. Calories out

I've been paying particular attention to how my resveratrol intake has affected my appetite.  Now it is said that resveratrol has the ability to mimic the results of calorie restriction, a dietary technique used in relation to longevity.  Personally I have noticed a few things in regards to my appetite:

First, on my workout days I find my appetite has continued to increase over the past two months.  Now for those who don't know my history I had a BMR of 1100 two months ago.  This basically meant that my body at rest needed 1100 calories of intake to maintian my current physiology.  This test was done prior to my new workout regimen and prior to any consumption of trans-resveratrol.  I've lost approximately 6 pounds since beginning my new training routine and on days I workout I have found myself increasingly hungry.  Even with the increase I can only imagine how much greater it would be had I not been taking resveratrol.  Certainly there is also the possibility of a placebo effect as well.

Stomach Sensitivity & Resveratrol

As you research resveratrol you will come across other people's experiences which tend to vary drastically.  However, a common statement is that by taking resveratrol people complain about diarrhea and stomach cramping.  It has been said this can last for a few days until you get used to it or it can never go away.  It is important to know the reason behind the "stomach sensitivity."  The answer is most likely "Emodin!"

A little can go a long way...

I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday weekend!  Here in New Jersey we've been  fortunate to get some nice weather, so far... hopefully I didn't just jinx us.

I wanted to post a quick update regarding some more of my own personal experiences with resveratrol.  This past Monday I started increasing my dose.  I decided to try out a small theory of mine regarding the potential for muscle recovery benefits.  I am now taking 500mg of t-Resv about 45 minutes prior to working out and another 500mg about an hour after I finish working out.  So to recap I take a total of 1000mg on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  The other days I continue to take 500mg per day once daily. I will do this for the next 4 weeks to see if I notice any positive effects with regards to my muscle recovery between workouts.  So far, I am unable to distinguish any real differences in recovery.  I'll keep you updated.

trans-Resveratrol and Bioavailability, the connection.

Why is bioavailability so important when it comes to trans-resveratrol? For starters if the "good parts" of a drug or supplement don't make it to the intended destination then there is no chance it is going to work.  We as humans metabolize ingested supplements at different rates.  It is necessary to make sure you are taking the proper dose and this can be different based on your own metabolism.  The faster your body metabolizes a supplement the less likely it is for the effective amount of that supplement to reach its intended destination at lower doses compared to a human with a lower metabolism.

Keep in mind that many non-human studies, especially those done with rats, are given at much higher doses of resv at approximately 50mg/KG of body weight.  Since rats have higher metabolisms then humans it is important we take a lower dose to get a similar effect.  This is described in more detail below...

The Resveratrol FAQ has been started!

With the lack of organized resveratrol information available I thought it was important for a "faq" to be started.  I will continue to update the faq and resource page over time and hope it will develop into a useful starting point for those looking to research or "take" trans-resveratrol. 

Here is the link: http://www.myresveratrolexperience.com/resveratrol-faq.html

By the way... my post on bioavailability and how it relates to resveratrol should be finished by weeks end.  It was a bit more intensive to put together then I previously thought.

My Resveratrol Experience Update!

Well, it's been a little over a week since my last update regarding my own experiences with taking trans-resveratrol.  I've settled into a habit of taking 500mg daily between 1:00-1:30pm.  For me just getting into a set regimen of taking a capsule every day is not that easy.  We all have busy lives so making sure I take a pill every day at a certain time isn't always on the top of my mind.  However, that said, I am certainly getting use to the routine along with my physical training every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. 

Prior to getting into how I am feeling I thought it would be important to discuss what a "placebo effect" is.  There are various meanings of the "placebo effect" but I find it best described as the mental aspects of a treatment or medicinal program.  So if you have preconceived notions of what a drug/supplement  can do for you it may be likely that just knowing these things can cause you to feel like they were occurring.  Oh, how our mind plays tricks on us...

Bioavailability, what does it have to do with Resveratrol?

I've always been known as someone who jumps into a project and digs deep.  I had no clue what I was getting into when I happened across resveratrol.  My research constantly creates more questions and more learning but you have to start some where.  A topic I found comes up often with those studying the effectiveness of resveratrol is "bioavailability."  Prior to getting into how bioavailability effects resveratrol users let's first start out by learning what it is.  Bioavailability is a part of the science of Pharmacokinetics.  Ok, so what is pharma-co-ka whatics now?

Resveratrol Expert!! I am not one.

I wanted to make sure those reading this blog understand that I am not, nor do I claim to be, an expert on Resveratrol.  Actually, it is quite the opposite!  I have only recently started to research the supplement and have only been consuming it for a little over a week.  This blog is just to give you a first hand account of someone who is taking it daily and writing (to the best of my ability) a breakdown of the experience.  I am also interested in furthering my research and creating a resveratrol FAQ for those looking to become more informed.  The FAQ will be a constant work in progress with continuous updates of what I feel is relevant information on resveratrol and topics relating to it, such as SIRT1, bioavailability, other SIRT1 gene activators, etc.  I hope you all find this useful and I look forward to future conversations with you.

My First Week on Resveratrol!!

Friday, May 2nd, 2008, was my first experience with Resveratrol.  After a long search for what I felt to be the best brand (i'll go into more detail about my search a little later) I took my first capsule; a 500mg dose of 99% pure trans-resveratrol.  I must say, after all the research I had done I was excited to get started and see results.  Ok, so I didn't feel anything the first day.

The next two days I took the Resveratrol at 1:00pm both days.  This happened to be a weekend in which case I was off from working out those two days.  I was eager to feel something but again didn't notice...

What is Resveratrol? Let's find out...

So let's get started...  what is resveratrol?  Resveratrol is a phytoalexin produced naturally by several plants as an antibiotic substance to fight fungi and bacteria.  As a nutritional supplement, resveratrol is most commonly produced from the root of the Japanese KnotWeed (polygonum cuspidatum).  Knotweed isn't the only source as Resveratrol can be found in the skin of grapes, cranberries, peanuts, and various other naturally grown plants.

Lets get started!! My background information.

Just a lil' bit about me...

I am 32 years old and for the past 12 years have focused on building my business and enjoying my time with my wife.  Unfortunately, I did not focus too much on my healthy well being.  Throughout my teens and up until I was about 20 I was very physically active.  I played numerous sports (baseball, tennis, golf, volleyball, etc.) and was at the gym 5 days a week.  At my peak I was 175 pounds and approximately 7-8% body fat.  I was in the greatest physical shape of my life.  Since then I have focused primarily on work and had little to no exercise at all.  Over those past 12 years I let my body and physiological health deteriorate to a point where I felt completely unhealthy.  It was time to do something about it...

Welcome to My Resveratrol Experience!!

In the coming days I will be sharing my journey into the world of Resveratrol.  I will do my best to give detailed daily accounts (time permitting) of how I feel, any side-effects I may encounter (both positive & negative), and provide you with helpful information I find throughout my research on this little documented natural supplement.  My next post will provide you with a background of who I am and the lifestyle I live.  I will attempt to give as much of a base-line of information about myself as possible. 

In addition to my personal experience I will be putting together a resource page focused on gathering as much useful research as possible on Resveratrol.  I look forward to your participation with My Resveratrol Experience and would like to encourage visitors to subscribe to the blog.