Trans Resveratrol Benefits – What Are They?

Trans resveratrol – this polyphenol and plant extract has made it to the headlines lately, and for very good reason. You see, trans resveratrol benefits has been shown to reverse the adverse effects of obesity in different studies and experiments (using mice as test subjects) while increasing their endurance and immunity to diseases along the way. Many health experts say that the findings could possibly open the a new field of research on other substances that could possibly prevent the progression of diabetes and other age related diseases.

You see, an ordinary laboratory mouse can run for about 1 kilometer on the treadmill before it collapses due to exhaustion. HOWEVER, a mouse that is fed with resveratrol, which is commonly found in Japanese Knotweed and red wine, can be seen running twice as far! Along with increased (nearly doubled) endurance, the mouse given resveratrol also displayed reduced heart rate as well as muscles that are charged with energy. That’s something only heavily trained athletes do as stated in an article published by Johan Auwerx together with his colleagues from the Institute Of Genetics And Molecular And Cellular Biology located in Illkirch, France. Along with that, Auwerx and company said the same mechanism operates in humans after their analysis of Finnish subjects of the gene that were influenced with resveratrol.

Trans Resveratrol Benefits – Triggering A Genetic Mechanism
The rationale behind for testing resveratrol was that there is some evidence gathered about 3 years ago showing that taking this polyphenol could trigger an important genetic mechanism that protects the test subjects (in this case, mice) from degenerative diseases brought about by aging while prolonging their lifespan. Auwerx had great interest in controlling ones metabolism genetically, and with that in mind, he decide to see if resveratrol could negate the not so pleasant effects of high fat diet. So what’s his conclusion? YES, with very large doses of resveratrol, mice were protected from gaining weight and developing metabolic disorders, which are very common when indulging in high fat diet.

This is largely attributed to the dramatic increase in the number of mitochondria found in the cells of mice that were fed with resveratrol. For those of you who don’t know it, mitochondria are the core energy source of the cells. They are the organelles inside your body that create energy. In simpler terms, the more mitochondria you have, the greater energy you produce. The mice with increased mitochondria were able to burn off more fat faster and better – avoiding weight gain and decreasing their sensitivity to insulin in the process.

Another leading expert when it comes to hormonal control – Ronald M. Evans of the Salk Institute, stated that the findings and reports from Auwerx research group have shown more than enough and very convincing evidence that resveratrol enhances mitochondrial function while fending off metabolic diseases. To add to that, Evans also stated that this study is very important since finding orally active molecules is very rare, especially natural ones like resveratrol that has a broad based and positive effects on problems and diseases (metabolic specifically) that are plaguing today’s society.

The study conducted by Auwerx concerning the trans resveratrol benefits compliments the findings and studies published by Dr. David Sinclair from the Harvard Medical School. In case you are not familiar with the works of Sinclair, his studies showed that moderate doses of trans resveratrol protected his test subjects – mice, from the adverse effects of high calorie diet. While it is true that in this study, the mice didn’t lose any weight, it lived far longer than those that are fed with high calorie diet BUT without trans resveratrol supplements.

You don’t think that’s convincing proof of trans resveratrol benefits? Well, get this Sinclair has been supplementing himself with trans resveratrol capsules for 3 years now and his parents together with the members of his lab do the same thing. I don’t know about you BUT seeing leading investigators in the field taking it is a good sign that trans resveratrol REALLY has something to offer.