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

SRT1720, Resveratrols' Big Brother Packs a Punch!

Mighty Mouse is back! Only this time he's bigger, faster, and stronger!

Today I cheated on my diet! For breakfast I had a three-egg omelet with cheese, bacon, and onions mixed in, along with a side of well done deep fried breakfast potatoes.  I didn't stop there!  Lunch consisted of a Bacon Cheeseburger smothered in fried onions, a large side of fries, and I washed it down with a few cokes.  For dinner I'm planning on continuing my binge of eating.

By now you're either very hungry or think I am crazy!  Maybe both!  I can eat like this because the new fountain of youth is here, SRT1720, Sirtris' newest wonder drug.  Did you sense the sarcasm yet?  Ok, so I didn't cheat that bad, but if drugs like SRT1720 are approved in humans perhaps one day we'll all be able to eat this way without any of the consequences!

You've probably seen the headlines and read the articles about SRT1720.  In a recent study by The University of Louis Pasteur a team of researchers found the drug protected against weight gain and insulin resistance, in Mice.  Let's take a look at the "meat & potatoes" of the study.

Side Effects Aren't Always Negative, are they?

I came across an interesting article today on The New York Times website that spoke about Sirtris Pharmaceuticals and the hopeful "Side Effects" of their drug candidates SRT501 and NCEs (New Chemical Entities).  The article (which I have posted a link to below) got me thinking...

...more people in the general public should know about Sirtris Pharmaceuticals and the work they are doing. 

If successful (and yes, it's a big if) these two drugs could change the course of our future health, how diseases are treated or cured, and enable us to live healthier lives for much longer then we do now.  How can you not pay attention to that!  I'll take a small chance over a 0% chance any day.

You've probably heard me talk about Sirtris Pharma in previous posts and I thought a brief summary of who they are and what they do would be appropriate first.

Sirtris was founded in 2004 by Christoph Westphal, M.D., Ph.D. who received his M.D from Harvard Medical School and David Sinclair, Ph. D. a professor of Pathology at the Harvard Medical School.  There are many other doctors who are associated or employed by Sirtris and the list can be found here.

In their own words Sirtris can be explained as the following type of company:

Resveratrol results in mice. The latest news!

Earlier today I posted a link to the newest published study regarding resveratrol and its effects on mice as it relates to caloric restriction and anti-aging.  I've had some time to read through the study and found some interesting information that I'd like to point out.

Article Title:

"A Low Dose of Dietary Resveratrol Partially Mimics Caloric Restriction and Retards Aging Parameters in Mice"

About the participants and their diets:

"We fed mice from middle age (14-months) to old age (30-months) either a control diet, a low dose of resveratrol (4.9 mg kg⁻¹ day⁻¹), or a calorie restricted (CR) diet and examined genome-wide transcriptional profiles." 

and further explanation of the subjects,

"We fed individually-housed male (C57BL/6×C3H/He)F₁ hybrid mice one of three diet formulations: a control diet (84 kcal mouse⁻¹ week⁻¹), a CR diet (63 kcal mouse⁻¹ week⁻¹) and a control diet supplemented with trans-resveratrol (4.9 mg kg⁻¹ day⁻¹) starting at middle age (14 months of age)."

New Resveratrol Study Results Announced

Here is the link to the new study regarding red wine, resveratrol, and its caloric restriction properties in mice which came out in the PLoS1 journal.  I will be reviewing and breaking the information down later this evening.  See you all then.

A Low Dose of Dietary Resveratrol Partially Mimics Caloric Restriction and Retards Aging Parameters in Mice

What is SIRT1?

SIRT1, a sirtuin, is commonly associated with resveratrol but I never really understood what one had to do with the other.  The answer is rather an in-depth topic that I will do my best to simplify in terms I was able to understand. 

Friendly disclaimer: Just as a reminder I am not a doctor, nor do I have any background in medicine or supplement science other than what I've learned through my own research.  When I read medical journals it takes me hours to get through one report because so much of my time is spent looking up strange words and trying to understand the definition.  It gets overwhelming and at times I find myself completely lost.  I am sure others can relate.

So here we go...

SIRT1 can be explained as our bodies "judge and jury" as to whether or not a cell should live or die.  When our body ages or is under attack our cells have to make a decision.  That decision is basically to either give up and die or to fight and try to repair itself from the damage thats being done to it.  SIRT1 is an enzyme that can help tell the cell what it should do.  So if there is more SIRT1 available, or activated, there is a better chance for that cell to try and repair itself and live on.