Marketers have, for years, made billions of dollars from consumers’ never-ending quest for the quick and easy fix to bad eating habits. Acai berry snack, drinks and pills are just one recent example. It seems like the next wave of health-promoting products will be based on resveratrol, the antioxidant responsible for red wine’s health halo.
In a recent study conducted by Dutch researchers, resveratrol consumption in fat men had a very positive impact:
Without changing their diet or exercise habits, the mens’ metabolic function improved, evidence of inflammation declined, fat deposits in their livers decreased and circulating triglyceride levels fell. While their bodies burned up the same amount of energy over a 24-hour period, their bodies’ resting and sleeping metabolic rate declined and their muscles’ use of fuel became more efficient — signs that they were using and storing calories more like athletes in training than obese couch potatoes. read more from the Los Angeles Times
Perfect, no? Eat like there’s no tomorrow, take a little red pill before going to bed, and wake up the next day with the body of a triathlete.
What you need to know:
Resveratrol is an antioxidant found in some plants. Most notably it is present in the skin of red grapes and as a result, a small amount may be found in red wine. Its role in nature is to protect a plant from attack by fungi or bacteria. Many animal studies have been conducted in the past few years, with huge quantities of resveratrol being fed to various small animals. The results were impressive, from cancer fighting to an increase in lifespan in some invertebrates.
Will supplements based on resveratrol be the new fountain of youth for humans? We highly doubt it. But some smart marketing folks will figure out a way to make gazillions convincing the public otherwise…
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