As the buzz of the 60 Minutes Resveratrol special subsides I wanted to take some time and recap the information discussed and the basics of resveratrol research.
My Resveratrol Experience has seen an influx of visitors and new subscribers to the site. I wanted to personally welcome those who are new, looking to find information on resveratrol, and welcome back the regulars. I hope you enjoy what you find and encourage you to participate in discussions.
Dr. Christopher Westphal and Dr. David Sinclair were both highlighted in the special sharing their scientific findings and opinions as well. Mice treated with a resveratrol diet ran longer and lived longer. This is old news at this point. However, the two Resveratrol pioneers spoke of changing the future of health care and the possibility of living longer, ...healthier! Who doesn't want that?
Have you heard of the French Paradox? In case you haven't, it's a theory that the reason the French live longer while consuming a higher calorie, higher fat diet is because of the resveratrol (or other nutrients contained in red wine) they consume due to their "higher than normal" red wine intake. The increased consumption of red wine compared to most others translates into a higher intake of resveratrol. A possible explanation for the increased lifespan despite a "not so great" diet.
How does the resveratrol work?
The theory Sinclair explains is that resveratrol activates Sirtuins, or SiRT1 in particular. SiRT1 is a gene that has the ability to turn-on a fight response within our cells. If they fight, they can live... if they don't fight they die. (more on SiRT1)
Further, it is theorized that Resveratrol also mimics the effects of a calorie restricted (CR) diet. A diet in which you consume less calories then your body may crave (say 30% less) while making sure you get all of the appropriate vitamins and nutrients from the remaining 70%. Numerous benefits have accompanied a CR diet. (more on Calorie Restriction)
You may have heard the two doctors speaking of "what is to come" with regards to resveratrol. Well, the answer isn't resveratrol at all, but New Chemical Entities (NCEs) that are being developed by Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, now a part of GlaxoSmithKline. The NCEs being developed by Sirtris are said to be more then 1000 times more powerful then regular resveratrol. They are currently working on SRT2104 which passed Phase I trials and will enter Phase IIa trials some time this year. Sirtris had the following to say about SRT2104 and it's Phase I trial:
"In preclinical studies, several of our NCEs were shown to lower glucose and improve insulin sensitivity in animal models of Type 2 Diabetes. We believe this is due to an increase in the number and function of mitochondria.
As observed in calorie restriction and with resveratrol, the NCEs increase mitochondrial biogenesis and hold promise for treating diseases of aging such as Type 2 Diabetes."
This is a short statement, however a powerful one as well. The implications of treating "age related" diseases certainly peaks my interest. Focusing on age related diseases is a step to improving our quality of life as we age. Hence, living longer, healthier.
Reality check! As great as this all sounds we have to realize that nearly 90% of all drugs never make it through their Phase III trial. FDA approval is not easy to obtain and we are years from knowing the outcome.
For now we have to choose whether or not a resveratrol supplement is good enough. Perhaps it's the head start we need? What do you think?
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