PREGNANCY, CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE, BREAST CANCER, VERTEBRAL DISC DISEASE, DIABETES, LEARNING, CORN SYRUP, COLON CANCER

Welcome back to those who are not new to this post.  In these blogs, I review articles publishes on Resveratrol from around he world.  As mentioned previously, they are posted by the National Library of Medicine found at www.pubmed.com.  Some of my blogs are on specific subjects.  This one is on randomly selected subjects.  As they say on IRON CHEF AMERICA, “enjoy”.

PREGNANCY  From the University of Alberta, comes a study on hypoxemia, which is low oxygen in the blood, during pregnancy.  This can result is serious negative effects on the fetus.  Pregnant rats were put on Resveratrol and then allowed to breathe air with half of the oxygen levels as normal air.  The pregnant rats had almost a complete reversal of miscarriages compared to a group of hypoxemic pregnant rats not on Resveratrol.  Resveratrol crosses the placenta and has a beneficial effect on the fetus directly.

Placenta 2012 Feb

CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE  From the Xuzhou Medical College in China comes a study on coronary artery disease.  A group of pigs was divided into three smaller groups--Resveratrol,  nitroglycerin and a control group.  Each pig then had a coronary artery blocked by a balloon, simulating a heart attack.  After the heart attack, the coronary which had been blocked was injected either with Resveratrol, or Nitroglycerin.  The blood flow in the heart muscle was then measured and was much greater in the Resveratrol treated heart.  The conclusion was that Resveratrol could significantly improve blood flow through heart through alternative vessels.  The logical extension would be to inject Resveratrol into the heart of a person having a heart attack.  It appears to be safe but we may never see this done in our lifetime.

Zhonghua Xin Xue Guan Bing Za Zhi 2011 Oct pp946-9

BREAST CANCER  The University of North Dakota School of Medicine published a complex paper on the chemical causes of breast cancer and how Resveratrol at different doses can prevent some of the chemical changes that can result in less breast cancer.  I include this study because there was a benefit from Resveratrol and it is a human study.

Nutr Cancer 2012 Feb

VERTEBRAL DISC DISEASE  From Rush University Medical Center in Chicago comes a study of bovine (cow) and spinal cartilage (discs).  This was a cell culture study where cells from the spinal discs of cows were exposed to Resveratrol.  There was a potent stimulation of ceil growth which could slow the progression of the degeneration of discs.  This suggests “Resveratrol may have considerable promise in the treatment of disc degeneration.

Spine 2008 Nov pp 2586-95

DIABETES  The College of Medicine at Chang Gung University looked at muscle wasting in diabetics.  Rats became diabetic after being exposed to streptozotocin. Resveratrol was then given to half of the rats and muscle mass was compared to diabetic rats not on Resveratrol.  There were multiple pathways in which there was loss of muscle mass in the diabetic rats on Resveratrol, along with improved energy metabolism.

Am J Phyiol Endocrinol Metab 2011 July

AGE RELATED LEARNING DISORDERS  The Miami VA Hospital researched the subject of learning disorders in the elderly.  There are a variety of causes of the condition called dementia, but one of them was a poor blood supply to the brain.  There is a chronic inflammation of blood vessels that can change the blood supply to brain cells.  A variety of berries and grapes were studied and there was a common beneficial compound in all of the natural products, which improved blood supply—Resveratrol.  In several studies, learning in elderly rats improved on Resveratrol.  It worked best if rats were started on it before learning difficulties began.  We have seen the neuroprotective effects of Resveratrol in a variety of brain problems.

Br J Nutr 2012 Apr

HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP  At the Gazi Institute in Ankara, Turkey, high fructose corn syrup was studied because it is a common food additive in a large number of food products.  It turns out that high fructose corn syrup consumption causes increased triglycerides, increased VLDL, and increased insulin and blood pressure. Resveratrol restored the high fructose corn syrup changes to normal. Resveratrol “has a protective potential against the harmful consequences of high fructose corn syrup consumption.”

Food Chem. Toxicol 2012 Mar

COLON CANCER  Finally, from the University of Barcelona, came a review article on the protective effects of Resveratrol from the changes that cause colon cancer. Resveratrol will slow the growth of cancer cells and increase the death rate of these same cells.  It is also effective in preventing the onset of colon cancer in lab animals exposed to chemicals that cause colon cancer.  It also decreases pre-cancerous changes, and in lab animals on Resveratrol which get colon cancer, the cancers are smaller and fewer in number.  Again, a natural product exists to offset the risk of one of the more common cancers.

Pharmacol Res 2012 Mar

I know this is a real hodge podge but it is also a tasting from a variety of different issues. Resveratrol, the active ingredient in Shaklee’s VIVIX can improve your health in a variety of different ways.