In my last column, Red Wine and Olive Oil, I briefly addressed the beneficial effects of resveratrol found in red wine. Recently, new information has been released regarding resveratrol’s availability as a supplement, which I believe merits follow up.

Resveratrol has been touted as one of the “hot” supplements affecting the aging process. In simplistic terms, it is a powerful antioxidant that neutralizes the effects of cell-damaging free radicals that causes aging. And now that it is available as a supplement, people will likely be clamoring to get it.

However, what needs to be understood is that the majority of studies with resveratrol have been done on animals and have yet to be replicated with humans. Additionally, while a glass of red wine does indeed contain resveratrol, it’s only about 1.5 milligrams, where the amounts studied in mice were the equivalent of drinking up to 1,000 bottles of red wine in a day.

Since that’s not realistic, what people will benefit from is a more practical approach, which includes consuming a regular diet of resveratrol and polyphenol (a type of beneficial plant chemical found most abundantly in the skins of grapes and in red wine) rich foods that may enhance the absorption of resveratrol from food and/or supplements.

Some of the richest food sources of resveratrol and polyphenol include both red grape juice and red wine.  In particular, wine grapes with the most resveratrol include pinot noir, merlot, grenache, cabernet sauvignon and tempranillo. Suggested daily intake is up to 12 ounces of red wine daily for men, and no more than six ounces daily for women. With red grape juice it’s 4 to 16 ounces daily – but be watchful of the sugar content.

Other good sources include Pomegranate juice (3-5oz/day), Dark Chocolate (with at least 70% cocoa, have one bite size square/day), Green Tea (three 8oz cups/day but remember the decaffeinated version contains relatively little resveratrol), and Blueberries (at least one cup fresh or frozen per day).

In addition to the diet options, it is recommended to take either a mixed-polyphenol supplement to help with the resveratrol absorption or a resveratrol supplement. Resources are included at the end of this article.

The excitement surrounding these two compounds lies in research that actually began in the 1930s and has since continued around the concept of slowing cellular aging, in which resveratrol is one of the most potent sources. In animal studies resveratrol has been shown to not only enhance muscle strength and reduce fatigue, but also help prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer.

A recent breakthrough human study showed that drinking one-and-a-half glasses of red wine a day lowered, by 40%, levels of lipid peroxide, a by-product of inflammation that damages arteries.

Bottom line is there are exciting developments surrounding preventive aging and in my opinion, one of the best resources on this subject and many others is the Bottom Line Health reports, which provided all the information in this article. “The Simple Supplement that May Prevent Killer Diseases” by Joseph Maroon, MD of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine appeared in the September issue.

Resources: Polyphenol supplement www.vinomis.com and Resveratrol products www.longevinex.com and/or www.myrevgenetics.com.

Kelly Ferrin, gerontologist and author of “What’s Age Got To Do With It? Secrets to Aging in Extraordinary Ways” has been studying aging and retirement issues for over 25 years. She was one of the first to ever receive a degree in this field from the prestigious Andrus School of Gerontology at the University of Southern California, the top school in the nation for age-related studies.

website: kellyferrin.com ••• email: ageangel@earthlink.net