Here’s a chart that breaks down the levels of cholesterol in different protein brands. Click for full size chart.

But the Better Business Bureau has issued a nationwide warning cautioning consumers to be wary of online ads relying on celebrity endorsements – including an apparently misleading pitch featuring Oprah Winfrey – to sell acai-berry-related weight loss products after receiving complaints against companies based in South Florida, Fort Worth and Arizona.

The supplement companies have not delivered what they promised in their ads, the Better Business Bureau said. Consumers have complained that they couldn’t cancel future deliveries of pills for which they were charged about $80 each month.

In South Florida, the Better Business Bureau has received 2,187 complaints against South Florida Nutrition Inc. (SFL Nutrition), 2,187 complaints against GlobalNet Pharmacies and more than 2,000 against Aton Solutions. The Boca Raton-based companies share multiple addresses but list the same individuals as registered agents and managers.

The Florida Attorney General’s office is also investigating consumer complaints against these three companies.

“Consumers are signed up for re-occurring orders without their authorization and are unable to cancel orders, obtain promised refunds or get customer assistance,” said Sandi Copes, a spokeswoman with the Attorney General’s Office.

The Better Business Bureau revoked GlobalNet Pharmacies’ membership because of the company’s affiliation with SFL Nutrition and Aton Solutions, spokesman Mike Galvin said.

In addition, the bureau has given all the companies an “F” rating based on their response to consumer complaints.

Anthony Pellegrino, one of the companies’ managers, said that SFL Nutrition wasn’t prepared to handle the large volume of orders and calls prompted by the ads.

“We have implemented a lot of things in the past couple of months,” Pellegrino said, adding that SFL Nutrition’s Web site has live customer service.

William White, CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Southeast Florida and Caribbean, said many businesses across the country are using the same selling model by luring buyers with free trial offers and celebrity endorsements.

In ads on social networking sites such as Facebook, Winfrey is shown apparently endorsing acai-berry products. Don Halcombe, a Harpo Productions Inc. spokesman, said Winfrey is not associated with the companies and doesn’t endorse any acai-berry products or online solicitation of such products.

The acai berry has been credited by supplement sellers with fighting cancer and other diseases. While a 2006 University of Florida study showed extracts from acai destroyed cultured human leukemia cells in the laboratory, researchers said this was not proof that acai berries could prevent cancer.

The purple berry, which tastes like a blend of fruit and chocolate, is harvested from the Amazon rain forest. It has become so popular that 1.5 million Google searches were logged in November.

Producers of acai-berry supplements, juices and tea have successfully marketed the products online. In 2008, sales reached $15 million, up from $500,000 in previous years.

Stephen Barrett, founder of Quackwatch.com, a consumer health advocacy site, said there’s little or no scientific evidence to support claims that supplements containing antioxidants prevent cancer and other illnesses or promote weight loss.

“The question is what data or evidence they based these claims on?” Barrett said. “This has been said about dozens of supplements, but a few trials have not had any promising results.”

Brown fat converts food energy directly into heat. It is so high-powered that just 2 ounces of this fat could burn 500 calories per day. Drug makers are, of course, trying to harness uncoupling in brown fat and other cells to ramp up metabolic rates, which might help manage  body fat by burning fat in larger quantities.

Another way to exploit brown fat might be to extract it via liposuction, make it grow in the laboratory, and then put it back into the patient. Escalating brown fat manufacture and action may very well help with weight loss and aid us in fighting the obesity epidemic.

The Boring Science-How Brown Fat Burns Fat

The body’s energy metabolism works by way of a sequence of coupled reactions:

This means that energy freed up by breaking down protein, carbohydrates and fat is then used in new reactions, like ATP synthesis (an energy transfer compound) or saved as fat and sugars. Uncoupling happens when the energy from food breakdown is released as heat instead of as ATP.

Don’t hold your breath waiting for the scientists to actually develop a compound for use by the public, but at least it’s good to know that progress is being made somewhere. The obesity epidemic continues to threaten the health of millions of our fellow humans.

A nationwide discussion is currently being held about how best to protect your body from free radical damage. It’s expected that as America gets older, more emphasis will be placed on means to slow down aging at all costs. What do free radicals have to do with getting older? And what exactly is a free radical?

Free radicals are waste products that result from the chemical reactions that take place in your body; they are molecules or molecular fragments that cause actual cellular damage to your body. Free radicals are dangerous – they increase the cellular deterioration and breakdown seen in aging; like wrinkles, diabetes, coronary artery disease, depression of the immune system and even cancer.(1)

It’s well-known that a lifestyle filled with drinking a lot of alcohol and smoking, as well as drug abuse, will cause huge increases in free radical production. But there is other behavior that contributes to increased free radical production, such as breathing in air pollution, working in a “sick” building or living on processed food, to name just a few. The body has to deal with those foreign substances, and free radicals often result.(1)

Ironically, the intense exercise routines that serious athletes go through can also cause free radical damage, causing them to also look a bit older than their true age; the observation has been pointed out for centuries that athletes and soldiers show their “wear and tear” early.(6)

Even though our bodies have protection from free radicals in the form of antioxidants scavengers, the protection is only so effective. Large increases in free radical production, even those caused by exercise, will no doubt overload the body’s natural defenses in time. Among other problems, these increases will cause a rise in levels of cortisol, a compound that will slow down fat loss from a diet, as well as other problems.(1) Excess cortisol is definitely bad for your New Year’s diet resolution.

What do you do? You Intervene.

If you are determined to live as long as possible with a certain quality of life, you must consider protecting yourself from these little free radical time bombs. Next I give you a basic guide to the essential antioxidants and vitamins you should take advantage of before it’s too late. These compounds are extremely effective antioxidants, but they also possess many other health benefits. Don’t worry; you’re not going to be overwhelmed with a large list of every supplement in existence. First, it’s not cost-effective and second, it can be counterproductive.

Basic vitamins — Vitamins C and E

Vitamin C is the antioxidant even your parents are familiar with. It slightly boosts your immune system, is a great antioxidant and is a requirement for several functions inside your body.(2) Vitamin C deficiency is very bad for the body and can even be deadly.

Vitamin E is an essential as well and it’s also good for your skin, hair, and your nails.(2) Stick with the recommendations on the bottle, taking too much vitamin E can be toxic.

A good quality multivitamin with minerals is also necessary to facilitate the thousands of chemical reactions going on in your body’s systems every day. Do not skimp on quality.

Pharmaceutical Grade Fish Oil

Dr. Barry Sears, the author of the popular book The Zone Diet, has a PhD in lipid science, which is the study of fats. Dr. Sears has been quoted as saying that pharmaceutical fish oil will change the way medicine is practiced in the future(9). Fish oil is one of the most effective supplements you can take, period. Not only is it good for your skin, your hair, and your nails, it also provides benefits for your heart, your lungs, and your brain.(9) Fish oil makes you healthier in general without a doubt, and some people believe it promotes fat loss and builds muscle, although these claims have not been proven.

Dr. Sears suggests using pharmaceutical fish oil only, and taking 3 to 5 g (g = grams = 3000 – 5000mg) per day, while a number of health magazines recommend 1 g per percent of body fat, per day.

Resveratrol

The compound is currently the hottest thing on the Internet since the blog. resveratrol is a chemical produced in plants and shows up in our lives mainly in the skin of grapes, made into wine. An interesting correlation was discovered years ago relating to the low instance of heart disease in French people and the amount of wine they consume per day, given the high fat levels in the French diet. This is called the French paradox(5).

Several years later it was discovered that it is resveratrol that provides the French heart protection from the sauces and butter so prevalent in French food. Not only the French, but many cultures that drink a lot of wine show the same low instance of heart disease in relation to the fact that the population drinks red wine on a regular basis.

While it is healthy to have one or two glasses of wine per night, the real benefits from resveratrol are found in supplements. And according to a lot of research, these benefits seem to be vast. Such as :

Reduction in the LDL and total cholesterol
Enhances immune function
Reduction in the oxidation of LDL cholesterol
Powerful anti-inflammatory properties
Decrease in fat production
Anticancer properties

All of these benefits of resveratrol have been clearly shown in the laboratory.(3,4,7) And that may be just breaking the surface.

On January 25, 2009, the CBS television show 60 minutes produced a segment on resveratrol that reveals just how powerful this chemical is. Scientists across the country now believe we may be able to slow down the genes that control the aging process using resveratrol. How it works is beyond the scope of this article but there are pharmaceutical drugs already under development that are derived from the compound.

Quality resveratrol supplements can be purchased online for as little as $15 per bottle whereas the highest quality goes for about 30. Optimal dosage levels have not been determined, it seems that 400 – 800mg before breakfast is being used safely, do your own homework before munching on these tablets like grapes.

This is the basic stack of antioxidants that should cover the known bases up to now and limit your oxidative stress and damage. Frequent tune-ups and careful use also required and always check with your doctor before taking anything new.

Just a short consumer warning: stay away from “free trials” of resveratrol unless you care to over-pay $80 to $100 per bottle of low dosage resveratrol. Checking the fine print you will see that you will be agreeing to a charge of this amount or more every month. (These companies give the diet supplement business a bad name) Good quality resveratrol can be found online priced at $25 to $40 and slightly higher for the absolute best. Welcome to the 21st century.

1. Zsolt Radak , Free Radicals in Exercise and Aging, Human Kinetics; 1 edition (August 7, 2000)

2. James F. Balch , The Super Anti-Oxidants: Why They Will Change the Face of Healthcare in the 21st Century, M. Evans and Company, Inc. (September 25, 1999)

3. Bharat B. Aggarwal, Resveratrol in Health and Disease (Oxidative Stress and Disease), CRC Press; 1 edition (November 1, 2005)

4. Philipp Saiko , Effects of Naturally Occurring Compounds on HumanCancer Cells: Anticancer Activity of Resveratrol, Piceatannol,Gallic Acid & their Analogs, VDM Verlag (August 6, 2008)

5. Lewis Perdue, French Paradox and Beyond: Living Longer With Wine and the Mediterranean Lifestyle, Renaissance Pub (August 1992)

6. McBride, J.M., Effect of resistance exercise on free radical production., Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, (1998)

7. Ferrero, M. E., Activity in vitro of Resveratrol on Granulocyte and Monocyte Adhesion to Endothelium.” (Amer I Clin Nutr 68, 1998).

8. Dr. Barry Sears, The Omega Rx Zone: The Miracle of the New High-Dose Fish Oil , Avon (December 28, 2004)

We’ve been watching this supplement for a while now and I’m not surprised that the researchers are finding numerous positive effects. We are taking this Biotivia 500mg tablet. Biotivia is the first and most respected manufacturer and you can get a bottle of 60 for about $52 on Amazon.

A new study finds that resveratrol, a substance in red wine and grapes, does in fact prevent the growth of fat cells in number. This is as opposed to the reduction in size where the size of cells can be reduced by dieting or the restriction of sugars. The results spell good news for dieters because the reduction of fat cells in number has long been only achieved by liposuction.

German researchers tested a strain of human fat cell precursors that develop into mature fat cells in the body (pre-adipocytes) to find out if resveratrol would change the size and function of human cells. The study showed that resveratrol did indeed change the function of these cells in that it prevented the cells from growing into mature fat cells!

“Resveratrol has anti-obesity properties by exerting its effects directly on the fat cells,” Pamela Fischer-Posovszky, the head researcher of the study said. “Thus, resveratrol might help to prevent development of obesity or might be suited to treating obesity.”

The study also showed that resveratrol slowed or stopped fat storage and reduced the production of interleukins 6 and 8, substances that may be linked to the development of diabetes. Resveratrol also stimulates a certain protein, adiponectin, that is known to decrease the risk of having heart attacks

Researchers have previously found that resveratrol protected mice from health problems related to obesity when they were fed a high calorie diet. Resveratrol has also been shown to mimic calorie restriction in monkeys and turn on a sort of “survival mechanism” causing the animals to appear and act younger than control animals (animals not given resveratrol supplements) of the same age.

Results found in the study:

• Reduces Fat Cells in Number
• Stops Growth of New Fat Cells
• Slows or Stops Fat Storage
• Reduces Production of Compounds Linked to Diabetes

This information is consistent with the long held belief that the “French Paradox” is explained by resveratrol in the wine consumed by the French population. The French Paradox springs from the fact that French people, who eat a very high fat diet, have low death rates from heart disease.Although cautioning that the long term effects have yet to be determined, Fischer-Posovszky said that a study has already shown that a single dose of 5000 milligrams of resveratrol had no ill effects in volunteers. Detailed results will be presented at The Endocrine Society’s 90th Annual Meeting in San Francisco. The study was funded partially by the German Research Association (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) and the Ministry of Science, Research and Arts (Ministerium fuer Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst), Baden-Wuerttemberg.

The results of two new studies on fish oil and fat loss were just released earlier this year. In one study published by the International Journal of Obesity, researchers from Reykjavik Iceland tested the effects of fish or fish oil consumption equivalent to 1.5 grams of combined EPA/DHA on body weight and body composition as part of a calorie restricted diet. (1)

The subjects were 324 young overweight men and women who followed one of four experimental protocols for 8 weeks:

(1) sunflower oil capsules (control)

(2) lean fish

(3) fatty fish (salmon)

(4) fish oil capsules

The researchers reported the following results:

“In young, overweight men, the inclusion of either lean or fatty fish, or fish oil as part of a hypoenergetic diet resulted in 1 kilogram more weight loss after 4 weeks than a similar diet without seafood or supplement of marine origin. The addition of seafood to a nutritionally balanced energy-restricted diet may boost weight loss.”

It should be noted that the study was supported by the Seafood Plus organization and there were some limitations in the design that could have influenced the subject’s compliance.

The second study, conducted at the University of South Australia and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2) investigated the effect of combining fish oil supplements with regular aerobic exercise.

In a 12-week, placebo-controlled study, the subjects were divided into four groups:

(1) sunflower oil

(2) sunflower oil plus exercise

(3) fish oil

(4) fish oil plus exercise.

The fish oil groups were given 6 grams of high DHA fish oil per day, which contained a total of 1.9 grams of long chain omega-3 fatty acids. The exercising groups performed aerobic exercise three days per week for 45 minutes.

As you might expect, the fish oil plus exercise group came out with the best results:

* minus 1.2% body fat (compared to no decrease in the other groups)

* minus 2 kilograms/4.4 lbs (compared to no decrease in the non exercise group).

Unfortunately, there was a limitation in this study as well: The food intake of the subjects was self reported, which is known to be notoriously inaccurate.

There have been several other human studies on fish oil and fat loss in the last ten years or so and the majority of the findings have been positive. The research is compelling and there have been numerous, and very plausible mechanisms of action proposed.

However, more and more often, I am hearing people in the health, fitness and nutrition industries making some pretty bold and I daresay, premature and outrageous claims about what fish oil can do for fat loss; claims which are not supported by the research.

The studies on fish oil and fat loss are encouraging, but the vast majority of research has been on animals (rats, mice and hamsters) and there have been limitations in nearly all the human studies so far, including:

Small sample sizes, short study durations, statistically insignificant results, lack of randomization, no control groups, imprecise body composition testing, measurement errors, self-reporting of food intake, low compliance control and fish industry or supplement industry-sponsored bias.

Even if you take the results of the existing research at face value, the fat loss really isn’t all that impressive – an extra pound here, an extra kilo there.

Many of the research results barely reach statistical significance, and you even have to wonder if these small improvements in fat loss are simply correcting omega-3 deficiency or fixing omega-3 and omega-6 imbalance… therefore, will they continue over a longer time period or is this a one time improvement?

One of the earlier studies showed the same kind of measurable but modest results: The fish oil group that took 1.8 grams of combined EPA/DHA daily lost 2 pounds and the non fish oil group lost only 0.7 pounds after 3 weeks (3).

Of course, you’ll probably take all the fat loss help that you can get, and since there are already enough good reasons to eat fatty fish for cardiovascular disease prevention and other health benefits, it’s really a no brainer to eat fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel or sardines at least twice a week. (By the way, with the exception of King Mackerel, these are species which have not been reported as having problems with mercury contamination).

Alternately, you can use a fish oil supplement to get the equivalent in omega-3 fatty acids as found in the fish. Non fish eaters or vegetarians can use flaxseed oil, a plant-based source of Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA) which converts in the body to EPA and DHA (the efficiency and amount of conversion has been a subject of controversy, however).

Based on the three studies cited above, it looks like 1.5 to 2.0 grams per day of combined DHA/EPA is the right dose when fat loss is the goal (although some suggest you should consider body weight when choosing the dosage, i.e., 1 gram total fish oil for each 20 lbs body weight, so a big guy might go with as much as 3.0 grams)

Most fish oil capsules come in 1,000 mg size at a 30% concentration, so if you took five 1000mg capsules a day, that would give you 1.5 grams of EPA/DHA; about the same as you’d get in 3 ounces (85 g) of salmon.

Note: other studies on fish oil and fat loss tested 3.0 to 4.0 g/day of EPA/DHA, but the American Heart Association has warned against taking more than 3 g EPA/DHA per day without a physicians supervision, as there may be potential contraindications and side effects such as increased bleeding time. Based on the research, more fish oil will NOT burn more fat, so be wary of the “mega dose gurus.”

Another tip: Don’t fall for the “premium price” necessarily means better quality party line. Quality and purity are important, but you can get molecularly-distilled, mercury, PCB, Dioxin, Organochlorine-free, 3rd party tested-to-meet-label-claims fish oil for less than ten bucks per bottle of 400 (one gram) capsules… yet I have seen “fish oil gurus” selling the exact same thing for $50 to $60 claiming that everyone else’s products are “contaminated” and “inferior” in quality. If that’s true, then I’d like to see those products submitted to consumer lab for voluntary 3rd party independent analysis and head to head comparison on purity AND cost effectiveness. If they come out superior and cost effective, I will gladly publicize the results myself.

The bottom line is it looks like fish oil may be a legitimate help to your fat loss efforts, especially when combined with exercise, as there may be an important synergy there. However, the idea that fish oil is some kind of miracle fat burner is just not true.

Like Mulder on the X-files, “I want to believe”… but we need much, much more research before we can say for certain exactly how much body composition improvement you can really expect from eating fatty fish or taking fish oil supplements.

After extensive experimentation, doctors have concluded that resveratrol demonstrates the ability to reverse the effects of obesity in mice. In addition, they observed that mice placed on a diet of resveratrol supplements also exhibited higher endurance levels and longer lifespans than mice on a non-supplemented diet.

In a controlled test environment, ordinary mice will normally run approximately one kilometer on a treadmill before collapsing in exhaustion. However, mice that have been given a resveratrol supplement will run twice as far before showing evidence of tiring. In addition, subsequent tests also show that the mice on the resveratrol program demonstrate heightened muscle control and strength and have a significantly reduced resting heart rate when compared to the ordinary mice.

After the success of resveratrol supplement testing on mice and other animals, doctors at the Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology in Illkirch, France have now completed initial human experiments that demonstrate that similar results can be obtained in human test subjects that are placed on a program of high quality resveratrol supplementation.

The key to resveratrol’s effects on the body are in the substance’s ability to work at a cellular level to increase the production of mitochondria. Mitochondria are the organisms in the body that generate energy. The extra mitochondria in the treated mice resulted in the ability to burn more fat and to optimize muscle functions.

Dr. Ronald M. Evans, a scientist at the Salk Institute and an expert on the hormonal control of metabolic functions, stated that the report by the French genetics team had “shown very convincingly that resveratrol improves mitochondrial function” and wards off metabolic disease. Evans characterized described the study as “very important, because it is rare that we identify orally active molecules, especially natural molecules, that have such a broad-based, positive effect on a problem which is as widespread in society as metabolic disease.”

A drug that can prevent degenerative disease, promote weight loss, prolong life, and reshape an individual into a highly trained athlete sounds like the stuff of science fiction. But doctors are convinced that their work into the effects of resveratrol and resveratrol synergy have led to some surprising advancements in the area of anti-aging. They now believe that the body’s ability to utilize sirtuins, enzymes that protect and energize our systems, declines with age. This is the process that is reversed by resveratrol.

The growing evidence supporting the benefits of resveratrol has enthused scientists who do research on the aging process, several of whom are already taking resveratrol supplements. Dr. David Sinclair, a scientist at the anti-aging drug research company Sirtris, has been taking resveratrol supplements in liquid and capsule form for over three years. He claims that half the members of his laboratory do the same and that he is encouraging use of the supplements to family and friends. There are a range of views on appropriate resveratrol dosages, but this involves detailed debate around ingredient purity and potency.

Quality resveratrol supplements are designed to maximize the efficicencies of formula and dosage.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHtt_WcXot0

It has several factors which make it unique, one of which is that it functions in water and fat.  This is very unlike other vitamins which only function in water or fat.  For instance vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin while vitamin E. is a fat soluble vitamin.

As an antioxidant alpha lipoic acid helps to recycle glutathione after it’s been years.  Glutathione is an antioxidant that helps the body eliminate potentially harmful substances and requires alpha lipoic acid for production and recycling.

For the most part this substance is made by the body but to also be found in very small amounts in foods such as spinach, brussel sprouts, rice bran, broccoli and peas.  Supplementation and that has been manufactured in the laboratory are also available in capsule form at the health food stores, drug stores and online.  If you’re interested in taking the supplement is should be taken on an empty stomach to increase absorption of the product.

People have found several ways and uses for alpha lipoic acid.  The first is in the condition of diabetes since this substance can help to lower blood sugar levels.  Because it also helps to kill free radicals theory holds that it may help to reduce pain, burning, itching and tangling in individuals who have nerve damage which was originally caused by diabetes.  It has been used for this purpose in Europe for many years and at least one clinical trial has found that the intravenous use of alpha lipoic acid will help to reduce symptoms.  The evidence that taking an orally will help is however, weaker.

In liver disease the substance has been proposed as a treatment for alcohol related problems.  However, there is then no evidence so far that this is worked in clinical trials.

Individuals who suffer from peripheral neuropathy, whether caused by injury, nutritional deficiencies, chemotherapy or diabetes, liver disease, alcoholism or thyroid disease, can consider the use of alpha lipoic acid to help with the condition.  Preliminary studies using oral administration of the antioxidant has shown that after five weeks individuals who were taking 600 mg doses once daily show improvement.

Alpha lipoic acid crosses the blood brain barrier and has been found to have protective effects on the brain and nerve tissue.  At this time it is under clinical trials as a treatment for stroke and other brain disorders which may have triggers of free radical damage.  Animal studies have shown that those treated with alpha lipoic acid suffered less brain damage and had four times greater survival rate after a stroke than those who did not receive the supplement.  More research is required in order to understand whether this benefit currently applies to people and how it can be exploited to help more individuals who experience a stroke.

At this time there has been some suggestion that this antioxidant will help with cataracts, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, burning mouth syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease and to inhibit the growth of the HIV virus.  However, at this time there is no evidence to suggest conclusively whether or not it is beneficial in these instances.  More research is underway to test the efficacy, efficiency and safety of using alpha lipoic acid in the treatment of these conditions.

There are some potential for side effects and interactions with medications and other dietary supplements which an individual may already be taking.  For this reason it is important to share your intention to begin supplementation with alpha lipoic acid with your primary care physician and pharmacists.  At this time there is no evidence to determine whether or not it is safe for women who are pregnant or nursing and as such, women should not take the supplement if they are pregnant or nursing an infant.  Side effects are generally rare and can include a skin rash.

The antioxidant has been shown to lower blood sugar levels so those who suffer from diabetes should take it only under the supervision of their physician who can help them to adjust their insulin intake to avoid any hypoglycemic episodes.  There has been some animal studies which have suggested that people who are deficient in thiamine, vitamin B1, should not take this antioxidant.  Individuals who are currently taking thyroid regulating medication should also be monitored closely when they take this antioxidant because they can lower levels of thyroid hormone.

Although alpha lipoic acid is an antioxidant and manufactured normally in the body, it is evident that it does have interactions with other over-the-counter medications and prescription medications which an individual may already be on.  Although many people believe that using natural supplementation is perfectly safe, they are external chemicals being introduced into the body and can therefore create circumstances in which the drug interactions are side effects may interfere with the treatment of any other underlying diseases.

Before taking any medications or supplementation check with your pharmacist to be sure that the supplement does not interfere with the actions of any other prescription or over-the-counter medication you are already taking.

They have tested people’s blood after drinking wine on an empty stomach, drinking it with food and taking uncoated resveratrol supplements. None of these caused a significant increase in the levels of trans-resveratrol in the bloodstream.

All of the studies concerning resveratrol benefits were conducted using trans-resveratrol. The supplement with the highest trans-resveratrol content is standardized to a 50% concentration. If an enteric coating is applied, this type of supplement can increase the blood level of trans-resveratrol, but most companies don’t use the right form and they don’t include an enteric coating.

You won’t get any resveratrol benefits from a powder or liquid form. You might get some by drinking red wine, but researchers believe that the benefit of red wine is not due to its trans-resveratrol content. The amount that you would have to drink to significantly affect circulating blood levels would be damaging to the liver.

So, resveratrol supplements are a good idea, as long as the manufacturer uses the right form, combines it with other important nutrients and wraps the whole thing up in an enteric coating, to insure that it reaches the upper intestine, where it can pass through to the bloodstream.

Some of the resveratrol benefits include a healthier heart, a reduced risk of cancer, better functioning metabolism and possibly an extension of your lifespan, if the results of the laboratory studies can be transferred to humans.

No one is sure how or why it works in the ways that it does. There are only theories.

One of the most convincing is that trans-resveratrol increases the activity of a gene that can reduce a free radical known as superoxide. Superoxide molecules are not highly toxic, but they can, over time, cause DNA degeneration.

If this theory is correct, resveratrol supplements should include vitamin C, enzymes and glutathione. The gene reduces superoxide to hydrogen peroxide, which is also a free radical. Vitamin C and other ascorbates, reduce hydrogen peroxide to water. If glutathione and enzymes are also present, vitamin C remains more active for a longer period of time.

Some of the better supplement manufacturers include the right combination of antioxidants and other nutrients to provide the greatest effect. Resveratrol benefits are included among them.

There are hundreds of different nutrients and plant extracts that are known to be beneficial to human health. It would be nearly impossible to include all of them in your diet. Some of them are not plants that we normally eat. Extracts from marigold, for example, are known to protect the eyes from oxidative damage. When was the last time that you ate a marigold?

So, supplementation is important and necessary, if you want to live the longest, healthiest life possible. But, single-ingredient resveratrol supplements are not your best choice for supplementation.