The resveratrol benefits have been studied by scientists. A recent study by researchers from the University of Leicester in the UK involving 20 patients with resectable colon cancer, who were all scheduled for surgery, were each given a daily dose of Resveratrol.

Ten of the patients received a 0.5 g dose and the other ten were given a 1 g dose daily for 8 days prior to their surgical procedure. The researchers discovered that Resveratrol metabolites were present in the colorectal tissue and in fact, showed a decrease in the cancerous tumor cell biopsy by 88%.

The study concluded that the data showed a decrease in tumor cell proliferation markers after the ingestion of Resveratrol even in small doses. This is only one of the many resveratrol benefits!

While this is not totally conclusive that Resveratrol is an anti colon cancer agent, it does support other research that seems to point to the amazing anti cancer properties that Resveratrol displays in the laboratory.

The Long List of Resveratrol Benefits

Some people are even calling resveratrol the fountain of youth. It has amazing anti aging properties in it, as well as weight loss, and cancer fighting agents in the resveratrol. All in all, it has seemed to be extremely beneficial in the studies that scientists have done on this amazing supplement.

Because resveratrol has anti-inflammatory properties, and the researchers know that prior to tumors growing in lung tissue, inflammation occurs because of the accumulation of toxic free radicals, Resveratrol may have binded with and removed the free radicals.

The scientists were shocked to see that actually resveratrol didn’t remove the free radials, but instead protected the enzymes, called caspasses, that kill off precancerous cells.

This exciting new development will be published in a new paper in the International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology in the upcoming month or two.

Resveratrol is known to inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis (early cell death) in cancer cell lines. It has colon cancer prevention activity in mouse models and possibly in humans. Scientists at the University of California have examined the effects of low concentrations of resveratrol on the Wnt signaling pathway, which is activated in over 85% of sporadic colon cancers. This study was undertaken to define whether low concentrations of resveratrol affected Wnt signaling.

Researchers conducting the study reported that low concentrations of resveratrol significantly inhibited Wnt signal throughput in colon-derived cells significantly reducing the potential for the initiation and promotion of colon cancer tumors.

The amount of resveratrol in red wine is 5 to13 micromoles/liter and it is suggested that even one glass of Pinot Noir per day provides cancer prevention. The suggestion that resveratrol has chemopreventive efficacy in humans, and the evidence that it has chemopreventive efficacy in animal models, at dosages which attain low plasma levels could be explained, in part, that the activity of resveratrol is present at lower concentrations than has previously been appreciated.

This study provides additional evidence in support of low dose resveratrol supplementation. Other recent clinical trials such as one conducted at the University of Nebraska by Eleanor Rogan, Ph.D. on Breast Cancer have also demonstrated prevention activity from low concentrations of resveratrol.

Resvantage makes a highly potent 15mg. resverarol supplement in liquid filled capsules whose bioavailability is enhanced by a particle reduction process called micronization. Greater bioavailability means smaller dose requirements and improved therapeutic effect.

Lindsay Brown, associate professor in the School of Biomedical Sciences at The University of Queensland and author of the research says “The breadth of benefits is remarkable – cancer prevention, protection of the heart and brain from damage, reducing age-related diseases such as inflammation, reversing diabetes and obesity, and many more.”

“It has long been a question as to how such a simple compound could have these effects but now the puzzle is becoming clearer with the discovery of the pathways, especially the sirtuins, a family of enzymes that regulate the production of cellular components by the nucleus.

The major points to the study established the following:

Resveratrol exhibits therapeutic potential for cancer chemo-prevention as well as cardio-protection. Brown states “It sounds contradictory that a single compound can benefit the heart by preventing damage to cells, yet prevent cancer by causing cell death,.”The most likely explanation is that low concentrations of Resveratrol activate survival mechanisms of cells while high concentrations turn on the in-built death signals in these cells.”

Resveratrol may inhibit age-related disorders, like neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and inflammation. Brown says “The simplest explanation is that resveratrol turns on the cell’s own survival pathways, preventing damage to individual cells,”. “Further mechanisms help, including removing very reactive oxidants in the body and improving blood supply to cells.”

Low doses of resveratrol increase cellular survival as a function of cardio- and neuro-protection, while high Resveratrol doses increase cell death. “The key difference is probably the result of activation of the sirtuins in the nucleus,” said Brown. “Low activation reverses age-associated changes, while high activation increases the process of apoptosis or programmed cell death to remove cellular debris. Similar changes are seen with low-dose versus high-dose resveratrol: low-dose resveratrol produces cellular protection and reduces damage, while high-dose resveratrol prevents cancers,” Said Brown.

These findings seem to point to resveratrol’s dual role in both maintaining health blood flow and heart health when taken in lower doses, while also exhibiting anti-cancer ant-tumor qualities in larger doses.
Final notes made by Stephen Taylor, from the University of Queensland Pharmacology department, is that red wine Resveratrol is largely inactivated by the digestive processes in the stomach and liver before it reaches the blood stream. So, he concludes that the biological effects could be even more profound with greater bioavailability – this suggests the possible potency of Resveratrol supplements that deliver Resveratrol in capsules, that can pass through the digestive process without dissolving rapidly, may be a better source of Resveratrol than tablet or powders.