Resveratrol Sources
SOURCES OF RESVERATROL
Resveratrol is found in different types of plants. Some of these are forms of dietary supplements and herbal formulations in Asian folk medicine. Resveratrol was first identified from the roots of the Japanese knotweed (ko-jo-kon in Japanese or Polygonum Capsidatum in Latin). Other plant sources include eucalyptus, spruce, pine, and lily. Resveratrol is present in foods including peanuts, blueberries, lingonberries, sparkleberries, cranberries, deerberries, partridgeberries, and bilberries. Resveratrol is found in most abundance, though, in the skin of grapes that are used to make red wine.
The types of grapes used to make wine which contain resveratrol are Vitis vinifera, labrusca, and muscadine grapes. Compared to white wine, the fermentation period in the process of making red wine is longer. Thus red wine contains more resveratrol than white wine. This may explain the generally agreed-upon notion that drinking red wine in moderation has benefits to maintain a healthy heart. It is suggested that a moderate amount is an average of one to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. In the case of wine, a drink is defined as 5 ounces or 148 ml. Since drinking too much alcohol increases the risk of problems such as alcoholism, high blood pressure, obesity, stroke, and breast cancer, it is recommended that people do not start drinking if they do not already drink alcohol.
Can you get the resveratrol health benefits without drinking wine, simply by eating grapes or drinking grape juice? It has been suggested that red and purple grape juices have some of the same benefits as red wine. Resveratrol has been found particularly in the juice made from the dark purple Concord grapes. These benefits have been suggested to include reducing the risk of blood clots, reducing low-density lipoprotein or bad cholesterol, preventing damage to blood vessels in the heart, and helping maintain a healthy blood pressure.
The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry has published several studies concerning resveratrol in food. In 2002, researchers found that grapes, peanuts, and Itadori tea contain mainly trans-resveratrol, while red wines contain both cis- and trans-resveratrol. It was suggested that Itadori tea may be a suitable substitute for red wine, as it contains relatively high concentrations of resveratrol. Another study claimed that peanut roots contain resveratrol and may have significant antioxidative activity. Additionally, in 2008, a study revealed that cocoa powder, baking chocolate, and dark chocolate all have significant levels of resveratrol. They reported that these levels are second to red wine among known sources of resveratrol.
