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Consumer Guide To Red Wine Resveratrol Dietary Supplements
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Added: 11/06/2006
Type: Summary
Viewed: 451 time(s)
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Consumer Guide To Red Wine Resveratrol Dietary Supplements
Recent positive news reports about the health benefits of red wine molecules has led to an upsurge in interest in dietary supplements that provide resveratrol. Longevinex® is pleased to provide the following information to consumers regarding red wine supplements.
1. The type of resveratrol used in lab studies is research-grade trans resveratrol. It is provided in sealed, refrigerated, opaque vials because of the known degradation of resveratrol when exposed to light, heat or oxygen. Exposure to these environmental factors may cause conversion from trans to cis resveratrol. Wikipedia states that trans-resveratrol can undergo isomerization to the cis form when heated or exposed to ultraviolet radiation.
Only trans resveratrol has been shown to activate the Sirtuin 1 gene, believed to be responsible for many of the age-prolonging benefits of this molecule. Only Longevinex® provides trans resveratrol in an airtight capsule (Licaps®, Capsugel®) that is never exposed to light, heat or oxygen during manufacture. To view Licaps technology online, visit www.capsugel.com
Independent laboratory studies show more than half of the trans resveratrol in conventional dietary supplements has degraded, or up to 80% has converted to cis resveratrol, in conventionally-made resveratrol supplements. Longevinex® has been shown to retain more than 96% of trans resveratrol for a period of more than 2-years in shelf-life studies. Longevinex provides 40 milligrams of trans resveratrol per capsule. For comparative data on the tested dosage and shelf-life of resveratrol supplements, please visit www.longevinex.com
2. Resveratrol in dietary supplements is derived either from red wine skin or as an extract from giant knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum). Red wine extract does not necessarily contain resveratrol and one supplier of red wine pills inaccurately portrays their product to provide hundreds of milligrams of "red wine extract" from French grapes when its primary source of resveratrol is from giant knotweed, at a dosage far less than labeled.
3. Technically, resveratrol is classified by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) as a drug rather than a dietary supplement. While resveratrol has obviously been provided as a concentrated grape skin extract for centuries in wine bottles, it was not a dietary supplement prior to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, and therefore is classified as a drug since pharmaceutical companies were the first to file for its use as a topical agent. Resveratrol supplements could be classified as a new dietary ingredient and therefore required to submit safety data as a new dietary ingredient. However the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, recognizing numerous brands of resveratrol supplements were already on store shelves, conducted a toxicity review, which is posted online: Toxicity Report. The Environmental Protection Agency has conducted toxicity tests on resveratrol and has determined it is nontoxic: EPA Report
Animal studies, using human equivalent doses equivalent to 21,000 milligrams, did not produce toxicity. (Toxicology Science 82: 614-19, 2004)
4. Some brands of resveratrol supplements claim their products have more antioxidant power or that they provide hundreds of milligrams of "red wine extract." However, resveratrol is a relatively weak antioxidant and its health benefits are not attributed to its antioxidant activity but its ability to activate the Sirtuin 1 gene.
Longevinex is the first red wine dietary supplement shown to activate the Sirtuin 1 gene. In one independent study (Biomol), Longevinex's ability to activate the Sirtuin 1 gene was shown to be equivalent to research-grade resveratrol. Currently, Longevinex is the only brand of resveratrol to publish the results of Sirtuin 1 gene activity testing.
5. Resveratrol is orally absorbed. Studies show about 70% of trans resveratrol is absorbed. The recent mouse/longevity study conducted by researchers at the National Institute on Aging (Nature Magazine, Nov. 1, 2006) confirms that resveratrol is orally absorbed.
6. Resveratrol seems to degrade very quickly. This is called the half-life of a molecule. (Half-life = the time required for the disappearance or decay of one-half of a given component in a system.) The half-life of resveratrol is estimated at 14 minutes. If quercetin accompanies resveratrol, as it does in wine, then it makes more passes through the liver before it is metabolized. Longevinex brand red wine pills include quercetin.
7. Claims that resveratrol is not "biologically available" are mistaken. Resveratrol is linked (conjugated) to a molecule called glucuronate in the liver, which extends its life in the blood circulation up to 9 hours. The delivery of resveratrol to tissues is then facilitated by an enzyme called glucuronidase that releases resveratrol. Glucuronidase is abundant at sites of inflammation, infection and malignancies. Nature has a perfect preservation and delivery system for resveratrol.
8. Over 70 species of plants provide very small amounts of resveratrol, including mulberries, peanuts and grapes. There is no resveratrol in grape juice due to Pasteurization. Unusual health benefits have only been noted in concentrated sources of resveratrol, such as wine. Red wine provides 10 times more trans resveratrol than white wine. However, the amount of resveratrol in wine is highly variable, ranging from 0.2 to 5.8 milligrams per 1 liter bottle. On a milligram basis, resveratrol supplements are far less expensive compared to wine. Modern medicine has yet to develop a medicine that is superior to red wine, however physicians have been reluctant to prescribe wine because of its alcohol and sugar content. A red wine pill provides resveratrol without the drawback of alcohol and calories.
If drinking wine, only moderate consumption (2-3 small glasses), yields health benefits. WIne bottlers can now say their products provide resveratrol, but labels do not indicate how much resveratrol is provided in each bottle.
9. Currently there are no published human studies involving resveratrol dietary supplements. A human clinical study employing 500 milligrams of trans resveratrol for cancer prevention has been launched in Europe and has passed the safety stage of that trial. A human clinical trial for colon cancer is also underway in the USA. Sirtris Pharmaceuticals has launched a human clinical trial for diabetes and has advanced beyond the safety arm of that study. Longevinex has begun a short-term human clinical study, which should be completed in early 2007. There are controlled and epidemiological (population) human studies involving wine.
10. Consumers frequently inquire how they will know a red wine pill is working. Calorie restriction is known to normalize blood pressure and insulin levels and to raise HDL cholesterol. Resveratrol is a molecular mimic of calorie restriction. Resveratrol in wine is known to prevent blood clots and widen (dilate) blood vessels, sometimes producing Viagra-like effects. Consumers may want to watch for these signs. Of note, an animal study found resveratrol did not lower circulating cholesterol levels, but did reduce the actual plaque that was clogging arteries. Resveratrol may confound markers of disease. (International Journal Molecular Medicine 2005 Oct; 16(4):533-40)
11. Resveratrol is not suggested for growing children or pregnant females. Prescription medications should not be taken at the same time as resveratrol pills. Resveratrol and quercetin inhibit detox (cytochrome p450) enzymes in the liver which protectively dull the effects of medications. If these enzymes are inhibited, medications may work too well, for example, causing blood pressure to drop a bit too far if taking blood pressure pills, or causing liver problems if taking statin cholesterol-lowering drugs. Since resveratrol is rapidly metabolized, these effects are usually transitory. This is similar to the problem of drinking grapefruit juice prior to taking medications. If in need of more information, ask your pharmacist about cytochrome p450 reactions.
12. Resveratrol pills should ideally be consumed with meals, since this is when insulin and blood sugar levels rise and when oxidation is high. The French, who are known to be thin and healthier despite a high calorie diet, traditionally drink their wine with meals.
13. Claims for dietary supplements are limited to structure and function claims and product claims. The US Food & Drug Administration mandates the following disclaimer be included on dietary supplement labels: "This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease." Longevinex makes claims that resveratrol is a molecular mimic of calorie restriction, that Longevinex has been shown to activate the Sirtuin 1 DNA repair gene, that it exclusively utilizes Licaps® (Capsugel®) technology to encapsulate ingredients without exposure to light, heat or oxygen, and that its contents are preserved in an airtight capsule with a minimum 2-year shelf life.
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