Why are Resveratrol Supplements Made From Japanese Knotweed and Not Grapes?

With all of the sources for resveratrol out there (peanuts, grapes, mulberries, etc) I was curious as to why most supplements were made using Polygonum Cuspidatum, other wise known as, "the Japanese Knotweed."

When referring to resveratrol in the news it is almost always associated with red wine.  Why red wine?  Because red wine is made from grapes, another popular source of resveratrol.  Many people search for "Red Wine Pills" only to find a supplement made from a weed!  That just doesn't sound right, or does it?

Well, to answer that question we need to do a little research on Japanese Knotweed and find out exactly what the Resveratrol inside it does.

Japanese Knotweed has the following characteristics:

• An "invasive species," AKA a weed.  Listed in the Top 100 Worst Weeds category!
• A perennial plant, one that lives for greater than 2 years.
• Can be grown in most climates and is found in 39 of the 50 US States.  Also found in great quantities in Japan, China, Korea, Canada, and the UK.
• It is very difficult to kill or eradicate from an area.
• It can survive extreme temperatures both hot and cold. (as low as -30 degrees Fahrenheit)
• It's roots can grow up to nearly 10 feet deep! 

(Source: Wikipedia, Japanese Knotweed)

I definitely see a pattern going on here.  Knotweed is one tough plant!  It's hard to kill, grows rapidly, and grows just about any where.

We know from our prior research that resveratrol is produced by plants as an antibiotic of sorts used to fight diseases, fungi, bacteria, and heat resistance.  

So if I were a weed, who wanted to dominate the landscape, and be considered "King of the Weed Jungle" then I would want a bunch of resveratrol inside me!  Well that is exactly who the Japanese Knotweed is, King of Weeds!  Full of resveratrol to fight off all that attacks it.

If we take our ques from nature you can see having "weed like" properties as a human isn't such a bad thing.  We would then be difficult to kill, have a greater resistance to sickness, and live longer healthier lives.

The correlation may not be exactly transferred from plant to human, but we should certainly take note and research further.

So why are Resveratrol Supplements made from the Japanese Knotweed?

It's used because they have high concentrations of resveratrol, grow rapidly in many climates, and the resveratrol is easily extracted in a cost effective way.  Grapes on the other hand are much more expensive to produce and contain very little resveratrol in comparison to Knotweed.

So next time you're trying to get rid of those nasty looking weeds in your garden, remember, weeds aren't all bad!

 

Other Interesting Resveratrol Articles:

Resveratrol Side-Effects
Micronized Resveratrol
60-Minutes Resveratrol Segment

Resveratrol Related Web Search

Comments

[KenW]

Can this be eaten or used for tea to get resveratrol?

[Admin]

Hi Ken,

That's a good question and one that seems to be a possibility from what I have read in various places online. Check out this blog link where the blog owner, Aaron, writes about different ways he eats Japanese Knotweed.

http://teaandfood.blogspot.com/2008/04/japanese-knottweed-kill-and-eat.html

You might also want to checkout this other blog I found: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/297132

It seems that JK is very edible but only when it is young. It is also recommended to strip the skin and eat the inner shoots. Some say it tastes similarly to Rhubarb in a pie or like asparagus when you steam it.

In the second link someone in the comments section mention making a "JK Tea Bread."

I am not sure what levels of resveratrol you can consume or how much you would have to eat to get a significant dose. Perhaps their are some scientists or horticulturists out there that can chime in and let us know.

[KenW]

Markus,
Yes, very helpful; thank you. I'm guessing the resv doses would be small, but I always feel like natural has merit.
Ken

[Admin]

Ken,
I would guess you are probably right about resveratrol levels when consuming Knotweed in it's natural form. In a sense I would say pure resveratrol supplements are also natural as I don't believe they are mixed with any chemicals. Perhaps someone with more knowledge of how they are made could comment?

As for natural or raw foods I agree with you on their merit. The research that is out there regarding the quality of foods and the nutrients they provide in a natural state is overwhelming. It's a topic I've been looking into more and more as of late.

[Vita Stillwater]

l have been juicing japanese knotweed in my green juices, l use 2-3 pieces of young shoot about 8 inches long. Now that it's spring here in upstate NY, l have a constant supply as long as l keep cutting the larger stalks that come up. l love that this noxious weed is so highly benificial!
Vita

[Admin]

Hi Vita,
It's great to hear about your juicing knotweed stalks. Any reason for only using the young stalks? I wonder at what age the stalks have their highest resveratrol content? Gonna have to find the answer out to that.

Could you post your recipe for making your juice and how to put it all together? I am sure myself and others would love to know how you do this.

[Jay Buggd]

is anyone having side effects from resveratrol?

[Mike]

For your information, the roots don't grow 10 feet deep, the rhizomes are the ones that grow 10 feet deep.

[Robert MacElvain]

Do the non-invasive, clumping varieties of Japanese Knotweed have the same Resveratrol content as the invasive weed?

[Admin]

From what I have read the invasive variety would tend to have a higher content than the non-evasive. The more stress the plant goes through the more resveratrol it produces to try and combat whatever stress it is under. That said, I have no idea if the difference is significant.

[weight loss supplement]

Lol, weeds might be all bad, but the ones in my garden most certainly are. I doubt I'll be able to harvest them for some resveratrol or anything else useful anytime soon. ;)