Fight the Fat with Resveratrol - Trans-resveratrol has been strongly linked with weight loss since 2006, when it made headlines not just among health and fitness circles in the West but all over the world as its positive effects on overfed mice in one research study were revealed to the public.
Trans-resveratrol
has been strongly linked with
weight
loss
since 2006, when it made headlines not just among health and fitness
circles in the West but all over the world as its positive effects on
overfed mice in one research study were revealed to the public.
In a nutshell, the
mice were fed 60% calories coming from fat, making them obese and
susceptible to cardiovascular diseases. All the mice included in the
study maintained the same diet but were classified into two groups
throughout the experiment: one group had trans-resveratrol
incorporated into their diet and the other group did not. The study
found that the group that was fed trans-resveratrol was shielded from
the health problems associated with obesity. This was reportedly due
to the trans-resveratrol mimicking the effects of caloric
restriction.
The next step of the
study was determining if trans-resveratrol could mimic the effects of
caloric restriction in human fat cells. This was done by comparing
fat cells that were exposed for a considerable time period to the
substance to those that were not.
Martin Wabitsch, MD,
PhD, a researcher at the University of Ulm in Germany said that the
normal doubling time for pre-fat cells is forty hours. "At 48
hours, the pre-fat cells in the control dish had more than doubled.
In the resveratrol dish, the number of pre-fat cells had decreased by
40% to 45%," he added.
"Resveratrol
has anti-obesity properties by exerting its effects directly on the
fat cells," according to fellow University of Ulm researcher
Pamela Fischer-Posovszky, PhD. It is because of this attribute that
trans-resveratrol might prove to be a key force in combating the
obesity epidemic in the future.
An ingredient mostly
found in red wine, trans-resveratrol is a phytoalexin,
formed
naturally by several plants when under attack by pathogens such as
bacteria or fungi. As discovered in the now renowned scientific
study, it actively attacks fat cells and breaks them down faster.
Trans-resveratrol
can also be found in organic fruits such as purple and red-skinned
grapes and certain nuts. Darker varieties of berries, such as
mulberries and cranberries, reportedly contain high concentrations of
the substance as well.
It is therefore not
surprising, and encouraging to see that the growing popularity of
trans-resveratrol over the last four years has led to the production
and distribution of a variety of trans-resveratrol health supplements
in the global market---from capsule
to powder
form.
Taking a healthy
dose of trans-resveratrol every day, especially when backed up by a
well-balanced diet and active lifestyle, does wonders for the mind
and body. It helps boost your metabolism which, in turn, allows you
to achieve your weight goal easier, faster and safer.
Trans-resveratrol is meant to be taken as a health supplement, and
thus should be treated as a helpful addition to a sensible diet and
exercise program.
Erin
Perry is a freelance writer, yoga enthusiast and Greenpeace
volunteer. She is currently contributing articles to Pure and Healthy
by Nu-ture, leading provider of various award-winning http://www.pureandhealthy.com">health
and fitness products in the US.
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