Resveratrol: Better in Resveralite

Most often associated with our choice Merlot, resveratrol is a compound present in the skins of labrusca and muscadine grapes fermented to make red wine, our beloved after-dinner relaxant. Lately there's been a lot of hype crawling along the proverbial grapevine about the potential benefits of resveratrol, and whether or not its presence in alcohol can increase heart health or extend the life span. But that begs the question of how you can stay healthy with resveratrol if you don't drink?

As evidenced by studies in laboratory rats, researchers have speculated that the compound may extend the average life span, which has gone from 47 in 1900 to 78 in 2010. Most notably, resveratrol exhibits properties which help slow the aging process, and prevent age-related infirmities from maturing early in life.

Long understood to reduce platelet aggregation and free radicals in the body, resveratrol contributes to the prevention of both coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis. The compound also exerts anti-tumor effects in the body, and as the New York Times reported, there's also a correlation between red wine and the prevention of prostate cancer.

At the same time, however, it wouldn't be prudent to spread the promotion of alcohol consumption as a healthy lifestyle, considering its harmful effects on the liver. So while drinking red wine is no doubt the preferred way of ingesting resveratrol, the compound is also found in topical creams and weight-loss supplements like Resveralite, known for its power to trigger a class of proteins in the body that regulate metabolism, called sirtuins.

It's also important to consider that the amount of resveratrol in red wine depends on how long the grape skins were fermented, meaning the level in each could vary. Where topical creams and anti-aging supplements are concerned, however, there's a definite percentage of how much resveratrol is contained in each supplement, keeping consumers aware of how much they're ingesting in terms of health benefits in the long term.

As researchers continue to make progress in the anti-aging tract, albeit slowly and carefully, we can expect resveratrol to continue its crawl along the grapevine as one of the more revered anti-aging solutions.