Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Pure Resveratrol Fights Fat Study

 
Researchers involved in the field of nutrient metabolism have recently determined that the antioxidant compound resveratrol may be involved in the prevention of fat tissue synthesis. Rat tests performed on resveratrol, a molecule which is commonly encountered in red wines, have yielded groundbreaking new evidence that could play a key role in the field of health and diet.

Resveratrol tests compared two groups of animals, each consisting of rats at similar body weights. One group was fed a high-fat diet that was bolstered with pure resveratrol, while the control group was fed the same diet without any supplementation. Researchers from the University of Pais Vasco assert that the animals who were given the resveratrol supplement had less body fat at the end of the experiment when compared to the control group.


Of course, these researchers maintain in Nutrition & Metabolism that their results may not translate directly into boosted weight loss for humans. During the experiment, the test group was given a dosage of resveratrol that was proportionally far greater than any human could reasonably expect to consume through a normal diet. Therefore, in order to lose fat through resveratrol consumption, one would have to either take resveratrol pills or eat foods that have been specially enriched with the compound.


Resveratrol and the French Paradox


The French paradox has puzzled many researchers for decades. Even though the French consume far more saturated fats and alcohols than other cultures, they tend to be healthier than people such as the Americans.


Many scientists believe that the resveratrol present in the wines that the French regularly drink is responsible for this oddity. When scientist David Sinclair and his team of researchers from Harvard University discovered that resveratrol was capable of extending the life of yeast cells, the compound began to garner strong interest from the scientific community.


It was at first anticipated that resveratrol might possesshttp://www.naturalbiology.com/high_potency_resveratrol_p/resveratrol60.htm the mythical anti-aging qualities that researchers are forever pursuing. Sinclair's discoveries indicated that resveratrol was capable of activating a gene entitled sirtuin1 (also referred to as Sirt1, or Sir2 in yeast cells). This gene is normally activated by the body's metabolism in times of calorie restriction.


Various studies have shown that resveratrol, trans resveratrol supplement,  is capable of awakening the aforementioned gene in a number of different species. Tests with monkeys, fruit flies, nematodes, and fish have all linked consumption of the resveratrol compound with longer, healthier lives. Some experiments also indicate that resveratrol may play a key role in cancer prevention, cardiovascular health, Alzheimer's protection, increased energy, and anti-inflammatory aid.

 
Further Study Details

Of course, many researchers are especially intrigued with the potential of resveratrol as a weight loss supplement. Some scientists believe that testing with humans could support the possibility that resveratrol can aid weight loss endeavors. Previous experiments have certainly indicated that resveratrol may possess such qualities.


For example, a study based in the city of Valencia recently performed an additional test regarding the effects of resveratrol on the diet. Sixteen rats were divided into two groups, and each group was fed a diet intended to make the rats obese. However, one group's diet was also bolstered with resveratrol at a rate of 30 mg per kg of body weight each day, while the other group's diet was left unsupplemented.


By the study's conclusion, both groups of rats had approximately the same body weight; however, the rats that were given resveratrol supplements possessed a considerably lower percentage of body fat than those that were not. The experiment's researchers also found that the enzymes responsible for fat production and fat absorption into the blood were far lower in the resveratrol-fed animals.


The study's researchers maintain that these results do not offer a definite link between resveratrol consumption and the reduction of obesity. However, additional investigation will be made into the subject in order to determine resveratrol's benefits on the body's metabolic systems.



Source: Nutrition & Metabolism

2011, 8:29
“Changes in white adipose tissue metabolism induced by resveratrol in rats”
Authors: G. Alberdi, V.M. Rodriguez, J. Miranda, M.T. Macarulla, N. Arias, C. Andres-Lacueva, M.P. Portillo

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