Cities are presently inundated by it – over taking hillsides and proliferating, much to the dismay of city planners and home gardener’s. This species expells its own natural herbicide which kills much of the plant life around it, allowing it to proliferate, grow and spread.

Resveratrol is manufactured by plants like, grapes and Japanese knotweed, as an antibiotic specifically to battle diseases, fungi, bacteria, and heat resistance. Japanese knotweed is loaded with resveratrol,evidenced externally by its invasive and tenacious growth and weed ubiquity in North America and Europe.

Nature proves again that what we consider noxious or obnoxious may indeed be a hidden source of incredible ingredients that benefit us in unknown ways at present.

Resveratrol is extremely prone to oxidation, so both the manufacturing process as well as the end product need to be contained in an enviroment that inhibits oxygen. In addition, enhancing absorption in the body, once ingested, is is important so that you receive the full value of the supplements dose. Powders and tablets are less soluable and absorbable that liquid capsules for example. The overall goal is to maintain the potency of the supplement and enhance its bioavailability (absorption).

One Resveratrol brand, Resvantage, accomplishes this by combining the resveratrol with a lipid and an emulsifier to improve absorption by forming the micelles that will be able to pass the water layer that lines the human gastrointestinal tract. Other dosage forms like tablets and powder filled capsules are inefficient and are low in bioavailability because they pass through the body with very little being absorbed.

Another method used to improve absorption is to increase the surface area of the resveratrol crystal. This is done through a milling process called micronization, which reduces the particle size of the crystal. Several companies/brands employ the micronization process including Resvantage and Revgenetics. The resveratrol in the Resvantage supplement is reduced through this process to a particle size of below 600 nanometers which improves dissolution and absorption in the body. This is synonymous with greater bioavailability, smaller dose requirements and improved therapeutic effect. This is what makes the resveratrol supplements so effective at low doses while avoiding the potential long term negatives of high dose resveratrol supplementation.

Some of the other resveratrol supplement manufacturers employ micronization in their preparation, but they use dry powder and the problem with micronization with any dry powder is the static forces along with heat and moisture presence cause instability of the compound during the process and almost immediate agglomeration of the now micronized particle back to a larger, lower surface area particle. Liquids are the most effective way with the use of surface stabilizers or emulsifiers coupled with a high-shear, wet-milling process.

The micronization process is more efficient when combined with lipids as the resveratrol is prepared prior to encapsulation. The active resveratrol is thus preserved due to lower frictional forces-lower heat, no static forces and a protection from oxidation which improves stability.

It is important to understand and know how a resveratrol supplement is produced to understand the effectiveness of the resveratrol dose that the supplement offers. A Large resveratrol dosage doesn’t necessarily mean you are getting more biologically active resveratrol in your body.

Resvantage brand resveratrol offers a low dose resveratrol product for people as well as a low dose resveratrol capsule for canines which is enhanced with other nutritionally valuable elements essential for a healthy longer living dog:

-Atlantic Kelp – Rich in vitamins, trace minerals and amino acids which are essential for complete nutritional support.
- Sea kelp – a natural source of iodine beneficial for thyroid and glandular health and it improves digestion and reduces stress.
- Flaxseed Oil – An excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids are critically important for neuromuscular development, skin health, coat quality and are used for inflammatory skin diseases and infections, arthritis and flea and food allergies.
- Omega-3 fatty acids are the good fats that reduce triglycerides and cholesterol (the prime fatty arterial blockers) and help prevent blood clots.
- Lecithin – A sustainer to the nervous system and brain promoting alertness and steady nerves. Lecithin emulsifies fat, improves digestion of fats, and helps remove fatty liver deposits for a healthier liver and improved metabolic process.

Peter Brant, spokesman of the company, said that they also have a feline resveratrol product that will be available within 3 weeks. Now kitty can live a potentially much longer and healthy life as well as their owner!

For more information on the the company check out their website, resvantage.com , and get more information about their products for fido and yourself!