Resveratrol, Weight Loss And Health
Even if you’re not entirely clear on what resveratrol is or what it does, you’ve almost certainly heard someone talking about resveratrol weight loss supplements. Is there any truth to the claim that the substance known as resveratrol can actually help you to lose weight?
It seems that there is some product or another hitting the market nearly every week, each touted as the greatest aid to weight loss ever developed. Of course, the vast majority of these products do little or nothing and are justifiably forgotten as quickly as they showed up on websites and store shelves.
So is the same true of resveratrol products which claim to be able to help you lose weight? It’s a question which is too complex to be answered with a simple yes or no answer. First, let’s have a look at what resveratrol actually is and what health benefits this substance can provide before we examine the question of whether it can be of assistance to those attempting to lose weight.
Resveratrol is a compound which many plants produce as a natural defense against fungi and bacteria. Not only does it protect plants, but this naturally occurring substance may be a potent ally in preserving human health as well, largely through its antioxidant properties.
Many researchers are of the opinion that a lot of the physical decline which we customarily associate with aging may actually be due to cellular damage from the oxidation which free radicals can cause. As such, you may have heard about antioxidants as a sort of anti-aging substance; and resveratrol is a potent antioxidant which might also provide some other health benefits.
I know, I know – you’re wondering if resveratrol weight loss supplements actually work, but bear with me for a moment; we’ll get to that soon enough. Animal studies suggest that resveratrol may be helpful in preventing and slowing down the progression of some cancers, offering the potential to help in their treatment.
Additionally, data from some other studies seems to indicate that this substance may also be useful in treating diabetes, another benefit which makes resveratrol something that you may want to get into your diet through foods which are good sources as well as with supplement products.
But do resveratrol weight loss products work? To answer that, let’s have a look at something else which animal studies on resveratrol’s health benefits have found. In studies conducted with mice, resveratrol seems to have an effect on metabolic function, which suggests that it may be able to help people to maintain body weight as well as to keep the metabolism to a level which may be useful in extending the lifespan.
However, researchers have projected that the dose necessary to provide this kind of effect in the human body would be in excess of 4,500 milligrams per day – a dosage far higher than any whose effects have been studied in humans and also far higher than that contained in any resveratrol supplement on the market at present. Since no long term studies have been performed on resveratrol at this high of a dose, it is unknown if this would be effective; or if a dose this high may cause unwelcome side effects.
So the short answer is no. As far as we know, none of the products marketed as resveratrol weight loss supplements can help you to lose weight loss, at least not based on their resveratrol content alone.
However, this antioxidant compound offers a number of health benefits which make supplements containing the substance well worth taking; and of course, you’ll always have an easier time losing weight when you’re already in good health. While they won’t make you lose weight, they are good for your health in other ways and certainly can’t hurt your attempts at weight loss.
