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

The Theory of Resveratrol Providing Us With Longevity Explained!

"Reaching the age of 130 because of Resveratrol..."  Where's the proof?

The original scientific theory regarding the benefits of resveratrol were derived from the phenomenon known as the "French Paradox."  While the French were known to have diets full of carbohydrates and high fat foods they still out lived a majority of those with similar diets.  It was determined the Red Wine consumption (and the resveratrol in that wine) of the French played a role in this paradox.  

While this lifestyle theory gave researchers a hypothesis to prove, it also opened up a myriad of other potential benefits resveratrol could provide.  We have seen resveratrol studies focused on diseases of aging such as Cancer, Diabetes, and Heart Disease. We have also watched mice run faster and longer while increasing their lifespans by up to 30%.

But what are we really after?  For most of us it is living past the normal life expectancy age of 75. Taking that a step further we don't just want to live longer, we want to live longer as healthy as we were in our 60's, 50's or why not even our 30's.  I like to refer to this "want" as the "deceleration of aging."

Why resveratrol then?  One prominent theory of using resveratrol as an anti-aging supplement refers to a calorie restriction diet, or CR diet. CR diets are best explained as eating about 30% fewer calories then your body needs with a standard diet. By using supplements, vitamins, and eating certain high nutrient foods, CR diet is touted as a healthy lifestyle by many practitioners. (more on Calorie Restriction)

Resveratrol: Compound Your Years With An Investment in Your Future!

How is "Aging" related to saving for retirement?

Most of the financial professionals out there will tell you the key to successfully saving for retirement is starting young and diversifying.  If you start saving young two things occur: 

1: You get the benefit of compounding interest, which is most important in the years just before retirement.

2: You have time on your side to make it through market fluctuations. (you just need to hope a down fluctuation doesn't occur just before you retire)

To slow the course of ageing you also need to start young and diversify.  If you wait until your 60 to stop smoking, change your diet, and start working out, chances are you would be starting too late to reap the full benefits of such a lifestyle change.  Now, it's never too late, so please don't let that stop you from changing.  Any additional healthy years you gain are certainly worth it!

Now back to diversification, as it's importance in aging is in my opinion more important then when investing.  Diversifying to prevent aging means you don't just do "one" healthy thing and hope it works. Just as putting "all your eggs in one basket" is bad investing, it is no better an idea when it comes to your health.  You need a reasonable diet, exercise routine, reduced stress, and good supplementation to effectively combat age related diseases.

Resveratrol Use Under the Age of 30? "Old Age Begins at 27!"

Vindication! Old age isn't just for the elderly any more.  A new study shows we peak at 22 and start are "age related decline" at 27!

When discussing aging almost immediately our minds turn to those rounding the corner of middle age. A time to lighten the load, move into a 55 an over community, or perhaps an assisted living center.  Well, think no further then the young whipper snapper who just cut you off in his speeding Mustang GT.

A new study completed by researchers at the University of Virginia, and published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging, tells us cognitive age related decline begins at 27 years of age.

The study consisted of a group of 2000 individuals, ages 18-60, who were studied for cognitive behavior over the course of 7 years.  When it came to puzzles and problem solving skills participants achieved peak performance at the age of 22.  Those same scores didn't start to drop until the age of 27.  It seems we are at our peak cognitive performance for only 5 years of our life.  Well that certainly explains things!

If you think aging is all bad, think again!  The studied showed 60 year olds were tops when it came to vocabulary skills. Perfect for completing those crossword puzzles while enjoying your retirement in sunny Florida (if only you could remember where you put your pen.)

More Resveratrol Please! (but don't forget to increase your savings FIRST!)

If all of this "life extension" technology works how will it change the world?

Often we get so caught up in what "could be" that we forget to prepare for what happens if the "could be" is actually obtained.  If human life-span is increased by 20, 30, 50, or more years what implications will this have on our society?

Alex Kantrowitz of The Cornell Daily Sun, recently wrote an Op-Ed piece titled, "Face to Face with the Fountain of Youth," in which he introduces some thought provoking questions about extending life span.  I give Alex credit for thinking outside the box and not just focusing on Resveratrol's end game.

He asked the following questions in his piece as well as a few others not listed,

"What will the effect be of turning 90 into the new 60?"
"Can our planet handle? Do we have enough natural resources?"
"How about the buildup of pollution, poverty, and overcrowding that would occur as a result?"

I commented on the article by stating,

The questions you outlined could be answered in great detail but I've decided to shorten my answers by stating, "As we have in the past, we will adapt to what the future brings." Just as our population has nearly tripled in a short period of time we have created ways to make living with the increase possible. Plenty of things have been done wrong (such as our ignoring of environmental dangers) but it seems we are learning from our mistakes and progressing in a positive way.

Fiscally we will need to prepare ourselves better for living longer. There is no better time to get people into "reasonable" savings mode then after going through the tough economic times we are experiencing today. Some times great fear is a good thing, it puts us back into reality.

Now that I've had a little more time to think about the questions posed above, I want to respond with a little more detail...

Resveratrol for Anti-Aging, Muscle Building, & Increased Endurance!

Here are the Top 3 Reasons I use Resveratrol:

Anti-Aging

First, like most people I want to live a very long time.  Even more important, I want to live healthier for longer.  I have yet to meet someone who wants to live until there 120 but have a myriad of health problems.  So living to 120 only makes sense if it can be accomplished in a healthy way.

When it comes to Anti-Aging, resveratrol works to help promote cellular health.  It has been shown to activate SiRT1 which triggers a fight or die response in our cells.  If we can tell our cells to live instead of die they have the potential to continue their replication process.

I believe healthy cells are the foundation for warding off age related diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.  As more research is completed I hope my beliefs are proven true.  Only time will tell!

Muscle Building

Those of you who have read articles on this site know I am very into an overall healthy, but reasonable, way of living.  This includes a physical fitness regimen that is based on intense weight training in short periods of time.  As an antioxidant resveratrol helps with muscle recovery.  I also believe the recovery is brought on partially from the cell recovery caused by activating SiRT1.

Anti-Aging Effects of Resveratrol: The possibilities are endless!

A topic I have not focused on previously is resveratrol's direct effect on anti-aging, or extending life span.  I continue to remain open-minded about the prospects of this being possible, but to this date, I have not found any evidence from studies in humans to verify this is possible.  This is not to say that it is not possible, just not verifiable, YET!

Studies completed on yeast, worms, fruit flies, and numerous other organisms have shown Resveratrol does in fact increase their life span.  So what about human life span? After some research and deep thinking regarding this I have to imagine this is going to be extremely hard to prove.  First off, it would take years to study the effects of anti aging and would require a very large sample set.  For instance, you will have to track this large group of people throughout long periods of their life and up until death.  We are talking 10-25-50+ years depending on when the research begins.  Is that truly feasible?