The Benefits Of Resveratrol For Blood Pressure

According to statistics from the CDC, around 70 million people–1 in 3 Americans–suffer from high blood pressure. Half of these individuals have their blood pressure under control, probably under some form of blood pressure medication. ^[1]Hypertension, or high blood pressure, can be a silent yet deadly disease, one that doesn’t necessarily need to be managed by medication. While there are some rare hereditary conditions that make it impossible to control blood sugar with just exercise and diet, most people have the ability to use dietary strategies as their first line of defense.

How Resveratrol Supports a Healthy Blood Pressure

Resveratrol is a natural plant compound typically found in grapes, chocolate, and almonds. Its antioxidant capabilities have been studied for years, with each study revealing some type of benefit for health. Whether it’s protecting cells and DNA, regulating a healthy blood sugar, or protecting skin from UV damage, there seems to be a wide range of benefits associated with the compound. ^[2][3] A recent meta analysis shows that resveratrol may play an important role in supporting blood pressure health by regulating systolic blood pressure. ^[4] While the research is far from conclusive, it does lead many to wonder how powerful plant compounds really are.

One of the emerging areas of research in relation to resveratrol is in the field of healthy aging. Resveratrol may provide similar effects of calorie restriction in terms of cellular protection. ^[5] Its effects on blood pressure are not surprising, if you consider the fact that resveratrol may reduce irritation and improve blood flow through vessels. Resveratrol may even support hormones that play a role in blood pressure. Foods high in resveratrol may also contain a number of other beneficial compounds and nutrients, like antioxidants and fiber, that are responsible for supporting blood pressure.

How to Support Blood Pressure Naturally

One of the key ways you can support a healthy blood pressure is by eating right and exercising. I know, pretty boring advice. But eating right doesn’t mean just eating vegetables; in fact, it means avoiding sugars–including high-sugar fruits–in order to avoid the blood sugar spike that inadvertently leads to a rise in blood pressure. Also, just by walking every day, doing yoga, sprinting, or any other physical activity you enjoy, you’re one step closer to a balanced blood pressure ratio. In the past, a healthy blood pressure reading would’ve been 120/80; yet, recent evidence is suggesting that less than 120/80 is ideal. While you certainly don’t want low blood pressure (hypotension), at or above 120/80 may be signs of prehypertension. In this case, consult with your doctor to know for sure.

How do you support blood pressure health? Please let us know in the comments!

References:

1. Centers for Disease Control. High Blood Pressure Facts. Centers for Disease Control.


2. Szkudelski T, Szkudelska K. Anti-diabetic effects of resveratrol. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2011 Jan;1215:34-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2010.05844.x.


3. Aziz MH, Afaq F, Ahmad N. Prevention of ultraviolet-B radiation damage by resveratrol in mouse skin is mediated via modulation in survivin. Photochem Photobiol. 2005 Jan-Feb;81(1):25-31.


4. Liu Y, Ma W, Zhang P, He S, Huang D. Effect of resveratrol on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Clin Nutr. 2015 Feb;34(1):27-34. doi: 10.1016/j.cinu.2014.03.009.


5. Lam YY, Peterson CM, Revussin E. Resveratrol vs. calorie restriction: data from rodents to humans. Exp Gerontol. 2013 Oct;48(10):1018-24. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2013.04.005.

The post The Benefits Of Resveratrol For Blood Pressure appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.

4 Surprising Health Benefits Of Red Wine

Do you know about the secret ingredient in red wine? Resveratrol can do things like help lower bad cholesterol and combat obesity, but it has the potential to do so much more! In fact, another study recently suggested it can even reduce heart disease by limiting the “formation of inflammatory factors”—possibly slowing it down before it becomes a problem, so to speak. ^[1] Don’t think resveratrol will make you instantly healthy, and always make sure you get all the heart-healthy benefits by exercising (not while drinking, of course). ^[2] But it’s not just red wine’s “wonder drug” that has people reaching for a wine glass.

Surprising Benefits of Red Wine

Red wine isn’t just a sophisticated alcoholic beverage; it’s a powerful food that, in moderation, could provide numerous health benefits. Here are 4 surprising health benefits of red wine.

1. Fights Cavities

Just about all of us would agree that good dental health is a priority. While many communities still fluoridate water for supposed dental health, the effects are limited and also harmful. So it’s great to hear that a little red wine could have the same effect. A new study even suggested it could even help fight cavities by preventing bacterial growth. ^[3]

2. Makes You More Attractive

A study suggested a glass of red wine could lead to a happier, more relaxed mood and could also increase facial flushing. ^[4] Sort of a no brainer, right? Well, here’s where it gets interesting. These things can make you more attractive in the eyes of your partner. While not a physical health benefit, I think most of us would agree that’s a definite emotional perk.

3. Eases Depression

Let’s head back to the “wonder drug” resveratrol. One recent study suggested its anti-inflammatory properties could even help with depression. ^[5] With almost 148 million people in the U.S. battling some form of depression, this news could be huge—maybe even leading more scientists to study the connection between natural anti-inflammatories and depression.

4. Cancer Fighting Properties

We all know that drinking alcohol damages cells in the body; well, resveratrol can actually attack and kill those damaged cells. ^[6] In a recent study, resveratrol in red wine counteracted the effects of alcohol, leading to a lower cancer rate. Anything that can help in cancer prevention is definitely a beautiful thing!

One Final Thought

Remember how I mentioned earlier that resveratrol could help combat obesity? There’s recent evidence suggesting a glass of wine a day could help overweight people burn fat faster. ^[7] That’s not to say red wine is a total freebie. You can’t just drink all you like; there will always be risks with that kind of behavior, but red wine in moderation (1 to 3 drinks per day) has the potential to do a lot of good. ^[8] Remember though, red wine is not the only source for resveratrol; you can also find it in things like certain nuts and berries, white wine—even dark chocolate.

How do you get your resveratrol? Tell us in the comments!

References:

1. Bollmann, F. et al. Resveratrol post-transcriptionally regulates pro-inflammatory gene expression via regulation of KSRP RNA binding activity. Nucleic Acids Research. 42 (20).


2. European Society of Cardiology. Wine only protects against CVD in people who exercise. European Society of Cardiology.


3. Muñoz-González, I. et al. Red Wine and Oenological Extracts Display Antimicrobial Effects in an Oral Bacteria Biofilm Model. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 62 (20).


4. Van Den Abbeele, J et al. Increased Facial Attractiveness Following Moderate, but not High, Alcohol Consumption. Alcohol and Alcoholism.


5. Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. Component of red grapes, wine could help ease depression. ScienceDaily.


6. Shrotriya, S. et al. A Perspective on Chemoprevention by Resveratrol in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology.


7. Okla, M. et al. Ellagic acid modulates lipid accumulation in primary human adipocytes and human hepatoma Huh7 cells via discrete mechanisms. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. 26 (1).


8. Larsson, S.C. et al. Alcohol Consumption and Risk of Atrial Fibrillation. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 64 (3).

Resveratrol may Benefit Your Arteries, Especially if You Have Type 2 Diabetes

Resveratrol – a substance found in red wine, peanuts, and berries – may reduce artery stiffness in people with Type 2 diabetes, according to a new study presented in early May at the American Heart Association’s 2017 Scientific Sessions in Minneapolis. [1]

The study’s senior author, Dr. Naomi M. Hamburg, of the Boston University School of Medicine, said:

“This adds to emerging evidence that there may be interventions that may reverse the blood vessel abnormalities that occur with aging and are more pronounced in people with Type 2 diabetes and obesity.”

Read: 4 Health-Protective Qualities of Resveratrol

For the study, researchers recruited 57 obese, middle-aged patients with Type 2 diabetes. Nearly 2/3 of the participants were African American, and slightly more than half were women.

The aorta, the largest artery in the body, stiffens with age and illness, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Researchers tested the participants’ arterial stiffness using a test called the carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, or CFPWV, after the volunteers consumed daily doses of 100 mg/day of resveratrol for 2 weeks, followed by 300 mg/day of resveratrol for 2 weeks.

The test was performed a second time after participants underwent comparable placebo dosing for a total of 4 weeks.

In addition, researchers assessed the ability of the participants’ blood vessels to expand and relax as needed to allow for changes in blood flow, an important indicator of healthy blood vessel function.

Overall, the study found that participants who took the resveratrol supplements had less arterial stiffness, but it wasn’t statistically significant.

In a subset of 23 patients who had severe aortic stiffness at the beginning of the study, however, the 300 mg dose of resveratrol reduced aortic stiffness by 9.1%, and the 100 mg dose reduced aortic stiffness by 4.8%. [2]

Among the patients that took a placebo for 4 weeks, aortic stiffening worsened.

Past studies in animals showed that resveratrol activates a gene (SIRT1) that seems to delay aging and development of several diseases. To test whether the same thing occurs in humans, researchers took samples from the blood vessel linings of 7 patients and looked at SIRT1 activity. After resveratrol supplementation, they found that gene activity increased slightly in humans.

Source: Dr. Axe

That doesn’t necessarily mean that the antioxidant can undo age-related changes in the arteries, but it’s a step towards helping scientists figure out how resveratrol can reverse age-related changes in the arteries.

Read: Resveratrol Protects Diabetics Against Heart Disease

Lead study author, Dr. Ji-Yao Ella Zhang, Ph.D., also of the Boston University, said:

“We found that resveratrol also activates the longevity gene SIRT1 in humans, and this may be a potential mechanism for the supplements to reduce aortic stiffness.

However, the changes in this small and short-term study are not proof. Studies with longer treatment are needed to test the effects of a daily resveratrol supplement on vascular function.” [1]

Hamburg cautions that resveratrol may not be as beneficial to people without Type 2 diabetes.

“The effect of resveratrol may be more about improving structural changes in the aorta, and less about the relaxation of blood vessels, and people with more normal aortic stiffness may not get as much benefit.” [3]

Sources:

[1] Newsmax Health

[2] Health Day

[3] Healthline

Dr. Axe

---

---

About Julie Fidler:
	Julie Fidler is a freelance writer, legal blogger, and the author of Adventures in Holy Matrimony: For Better or the Absolute Worst. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two ridiculously spoiled cats. She occasionally pontificates on her blog.