Doctor's and Resveratrol: Some know, some don't!

For the most part, when it comes to this site and my resveratrol use, I keep it to myself.  Very few people in my "circle" know about the site or that I take supplements.  For me, I don't want to defend my decisions to use these products over and over again to the people I see every day.  I am willing to take the time to explain it to those who are open-minded and interested in learning more.  That is why I enjoy sharing my experiences on this site with like minded people.  At the same time there are a select few close friends whom I've shared this site and my resveratrol usage with.

Recently I was having dinner with my parents, my father who is 60, and my mother who is, well, we'll just say she is a little younger then him.  My father is a private pilot who has been flying for many years now.  Each year pilots have to get a mandatory physical completed by an FAA approved physician.  This year it just so happens he was speaking with this specific doctor who recommended he look into taking this "new" supplement.  The doctor informed him it has been shown in studies to help a wide variety of diseases and anti-aging illnesses, amongst other things.

I basically finished my fathers story by saying, "I bet I know what it was he suggested... resveratrol!"  To my fathers, and my own astonishment, it was exactly what he was talking about.  Now I have never mentioned this site to my father so when I pulled up the home page to show him he was rather surprised.  I guess the apple doesn't fall to far from the tree after all.  I was eager to share my knowledge and offer some tidbits of information. 

This got me thinking... 

Are doctors becoming more aware and more open to alternative medicines?  I think the answer is yes, but we still have a long way to go.  The good news is the doctors who keep up to date on research, and not just stick with the status quo, are the ones I've found open to the idea of trans-resveratrol.  I had a similar experience with my personal physician.  He had not heard of resveratrol but was eager to learn and was open to what it might be able to provide.

My concern is with the doctors who are closed-minded and not willing to give new science a chance.  I mean you are a doctor, science is what your profession is!  This is not to say that resveratrol won't be proven to have any benefits, but not being interested in "possibilities" as a doctor seems almost negligent to me.

I encourage you to inform your doctor about your resveratrol usage and get their opinions.  Even better ask them before you start taking it.  I think you can learn a lot about the person who treats you with the response you get from a question like that.  If they dismiss you without asking for further information or having a medical reason to back it up I would certainly question my loyalty to the physician.  Personally I want to be cared for by someone who looks into all possibilities and has the sense to not dismiss potentials no matter how slim they might be.

Have you talked to your doctor about resveratrol?  Know any doctors who are for, or against it?  Please post your experiences with doctors below.  We would all like to hear what the professionals have to say.

Resveratrol Related Web Search

Comments

[Toni]

I've been following your journey for a couple months now. Gone to some of your links like the forum and am thinking about trying resveratrol. I do have a couple questions and am wondering if you could email me? Thanks

[bob r.]

Markus,
The fact that your dad's doctor recommended resv, among the thousands of supplements out there, is really quite stunning.

Normally, the medical industry favors patented, and quite expensive "cures", as opposed to cheap prevention (with the possible exception of multivitamins).

And resv is so new.

Re: mainstream vs. "alternative". I recently got treated for lyme disease. My family dr. misdiagnosed me as having arthritis, and recommended a specialist who would likely have prescribed symptom-masking, expensive steroids with plenty of side effects (possibly for life, as this treatment is only palliative and not a cure). Mainstream medicine.

Something didn't feel quite right, and further research led me to one of the only "lyme literate" specialists in the area, which is now considered "alternative" therapy.

I'm real glad I followed my instincts, instead of blindly following my doctor's advice. At this point, I have a similar gut feeling about taking resv.

As more research is done, it will be exciting to see how things unfold!

[Admin]

Hi Toni,

Thanks for the support. I've sent you an email so we can chat.

[Admin]

Hi Bob,

I am very happy to hear you were able to find a solution to your problem. In a perfect world doctors would diagnose us with 100% accuracy. However, the reality is this is an unreasonable expectation. That said, you always get a better read off of someone by their reactions to a mistake then you do when they are right. I hope your doctor was supportive of your new found treatment.

It's always a good idea to go with your instincts even if they are only there to force you into a second opinion. As you pointed out some doctors are often way to quick to diagnose and prescribe medications instead of treatments. I think this is the fault of both us as patients (we want answers quickly) and doctors afraid of law suits and not following "standard operating procedures." An entirely different topic I'll try to stay away from for now.

Thank you for sharing and I look forward to hearing how your resveratrol experience goes.

[Manasi]

Hi Markus
I have been taking Natures Way Resveratrol which has about 37.5 mg Resv per cap.It doesnt say Trans-Res on the bottle, says - Resv from Jap. Knotweed. So I assume it is Trans-Resv?
Which brands do you recommend. I think "less is more" and we dont need a very high dosage in this case if we live a reasonably healthy lifestyle. What is your experience, do you take high doses? Have you heard of Country Life, Resveratrol Plus? they have 100mg per cap. What does the body do with excess of Resv or antioxidants? Does it go down the toilet like any other VitB/C? I am bout to order bulk but would wait for your recommendation regards brands. Till now I have been taking only Natures Way Resv, I felt good with it, it kept my energy levels up but want very strong or radical, could it be beacuse it is lower dosed? I took total 75mg Resv per day.

Your insights will be much appreciated!

Thanks
Manasi

[Admin]

Hi Manasi,

I have heard of those companies before but I prefer not to comment specifically on brands. What I will say is that manufacturers should be very specific with regards to what is in their products. So it should say what type of resveratrol is in it, how much, and what percentage it is from a purity standpoint. They should also provide a COA from an independent laboratory to back up their product.

As for dosages, this is the million dollar question and will most likely remain this way for a long time to come. Some say less is more, others more is better. I take no more than 500mg, but this is just my personal preference. I have taken less and I have taken more, but 250-500mg is good for me.

You may want to look into purchasing bulk powder and measuring the amount you take yourself. It is much more cost effective and can sometimes provide with a better means of bioavailability.

Here is a link to another page on this site discussing what I take: http://www.myresveratrolexperience.com/micronized-resveratrol-supplement.html

[Manasi]

Thanks Markus