The Body Care Retreat

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I always liked to hear that one thing that kept the French healthy was their love of red wine. Although not entirely sure that I believed it, I wanted to think it was true.

The substance in red wine that is attributed with this beneficial effect is called Resveratrol and the only truly sad news is that to take full advantage of its presence in red wine it would be necessary to consume about three liters a day. Sadly that is a problem for those of us incapable of staying awake past the first liter.

But the good news is that Resveratrol is available in other forms and does have some truly beneficial effects. Resveratrol is a powerful antioxidant that is produced by certain types of plants in response to stress, fungal infections, ultraviolet radiation or injury – and if you think that sounds like an unlikely source of something that will be healthy – wait until you read about Cordyceps. But I digress.

The source of Resveratrol in red wine is from the seeds and skin of the grapes and it is also found in grape juice, peanuts, blueberries and cranberries. Taking a supplemental form of Resveratrol will provide a reliably consistent form of this anti-oxidant, both in quantity and quality.

Resveratrol combats free radicals and that’s why it can be beneficial to the health and blood vessels. According to a study from Free Radical Research, resveratrol helped the body to defend against certain types of artery-damaging radicals that can oxidize the fat proteins known to contribute to heart disease and heart attacks. As the damaging radicals harden, they thicken the arteries causing them to narrow due to the development of scar tissue. It also keeps blood cells from sticking together, which helps the body to defend against heart disease and this same ability to fight free radicals will also benefit the brain.

Another possible benefit rising from the ability to clean out free radicals that lead to cell damage is its potential to fight against a disease caused by the destruction and steady loss of brain cells- Alzheimer’s disease linked by some to a deficiency of Vitamin B12, with the recommendation that some forms of B12 deficiency dementia can be addressed by increasing the levels.

Resveratrol can help to protect against what is called oxidative stress, by clearing out free radicals that contribute to the stress and kill brain cells. It’s performing the same role for the brain as it does for the heart and arteries all because of its marvelous anti-oxidant properties.