Below is an overview of the audio content of this video. Watch the video above to see graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes as Dr. Greger mentions them.
introduction: There are all kinds of claims made about the red wine compound resveratrol. In this four-video series, I take a closer look at the research on the potential benefits and side effects of resveratrol supplements.
Resveratrol, known as the red wine molecule, became a household name in 1991 when a scientist at the University of Bordeaux appeared on the popular TV show “60 Minutes” and attributed the so-called French Paradox to the French's habit of drinking red wine. The term “French Paradox” itself was coined in the newsletter of the International Vine and Wine Organization to describe an interesting discovery.
When deaths from heart attacks and saturated fat and cholesterol intake are compared across countries, there appears to be a straight line. It appears that the more animal products consumed, the higher the mortality rate. But the two countries did not fit that straight line. Finland seemed to perform worse than expected, and France seemed to perform better than expected. Hence the paradox. How could France have a saturated fat and cholesterol intake similar to Finland's, yet reduce fatal heart attacks by five times?
Everyone had their own theory to explain the paradox. Was it a win? Was it a meal? That's right. Animal-based foods are associated with coronary heart disease mortality, but plant-based foods appear to have a protective effect. So does the fact that the French eat four times more vegetables help explain their lower mortality rate? But it turns out there may be no paradox at all.
A survey by the World Health Organization (WHO) found that French doctors were underreporting heart disease deaths by 20% on death certificates. So if we correct this, France is basically back to the same level as the death rate relative to animal fat and the death rate relative to cholesterol. The rate of fatal heart attacks is about four times that of Japan, and animal fat consumption is about four times that of Japan. However, by the time of revision, resveratrol research had already taken root, with more than 17,000 scientific publications to date.
But only about 1 to 2 percent of published reports were clinical trials in humans, and after millions of dollars spent and years of disappointing results, the scientific tide began to turn. Reviews have begun to ask whether resveratrol is a molecule that has come and gone. “Should we now consign resveratrol to the intellectual dustbin and move on to better things?” Of course, the matter was not resolved when a leading resveratrol researcher was found guilty of 145 counts of data manipulation and falsification, sending the entire field into disarray.
But in 2013, resveratrol was poised to make a comeback with the unequivocal identification of it as a sirtuin-activating compound, or STAC, a compound known to activate longevity enzymes. But this is questionable. Commentaries with titles such as “Is resveratrol a fraud?”, “A promising treatment or a hopeless illusion?”, and “The failure of resveratrol” have been published, suggesting that the apparent sirtuin activity was probably the result of an experimental artifact. It is implied. “In summary,” a recent review concluded, “the jury is out.” But the proof is in the pudding. Does resveratrol extend lifespan?
Yeast is a huge success story, with resveratrol extending the life of brewer's yeast by up to 70%. Resveratrol also helped microscopic roundworms live longer, but failed against fruit flies, mosquitoes and daphnia. Is there anything bigger than a single-celled fungus or microscopic bug? Yes, resveratrol can extend the lifespan of honey bees, and most interestingly, it can extend the lifespan of two vertebrates, the short-lived fish Gunther killifish and turquoise killifish. Unfortunately, most studies in mammals (primarily mice) have failed to show a life-extending effect.
Resveratrol is said to extend the lifespan of so-called model organisms by mimicking calorie restriction. However, flies and mice show a strong lifespan extension response to dietary restriction but do not seem to respond to resveratrol. But that may only be true in healthy animals. When resveratrol is given to rats that have been exposed to radiation, poisoned by endotoxin, or have had their intestines perforated to induce renal failure due to sepsis, they are able to survive longer with resveratrol than would otherwise be possible under those conditions. Resveratrol may also help mediate the lifespan-shortening effects of a high-fat diet in rats.
The lifespan of healthy mice and those fed a normal diet was not affected by resveratrol, but the compound partially prevented early death in mice fed a high-fat diet.
The authors of a meta-analysis of resveratrol's effects on longevity across species concluded that “it is inappropriate for resveratrol to be marketed as a life-extending dietary supplement,” based on the fact that most rat studies failed to show a benefit. In fact, no studies have proven that resveratrol extends lifespan. healthy Rodents are only considered “metabolically impaired mammals.” But isn't that a very accurate description of most of the American population today?
A study of monkeys fed a diet high in butterfat and sugar found that resveratrol reduced inflammation in the arteries and abdominal fat. With the move to normalize the lifespan of mice on a high-fat diet, pharmacological journal commentaries have been published with titles such as “Resveratrol – a drug to replace a healthy diet?”, speculating “whether resveratrol is the compound that makes us healthier” . “If you eat too much in general, and too much fat and sugar in particular, you become more inactive.”
Yes, an editorial in the Journal of Nutrition titled “Avoiding Physical Activity and Healthy Eating” acknowledged that exercise and dietary modification are “the most powerful, cheapest, and easiest way to prevent lifestyle-related chronic diseases.” Can you avoid the consequences of your lifestyle?” It's no wonder that annual sales of resveratrol supplements reach $30 million in the United States alone. When Oprah Winfrey mentioned resveratrol in 2009, when her interest peaked, it was estimated that two-thirds of Americans who take multiple dietary supplements daily contain resveratrol. But what does the human data show? We'll discuss this next.
Please consider resource To provide assistance on the site.