Resveratrol
Description
Resveratrol is a polyphenol found in certain fruits such as grapes, blackberries and peanuts.
Resveratrol was first isolated in 1940 from the roots of the white wormwood (Veratrum grandiflorum), then in 1963 from the roots of Polygonum cuspidatum (Japanese bindweed), a plant used in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine
Initially described as a phytoalexin (a plant antibiotic), resveratrol began to attract interest in 1992, when it was hypothesised, based on epidemiological studies, that its presence in red wine could explain the cardioprotective effects attributed to the latter.
This molecule emerged as a credible candidate for solving the enigma of the "French paradox", i.e. a high consumption of animal fats associated with a relatively low rate of cardiovascular disease, in contrast to northern European countries.
The benefits
- Since then, dozens of studies have shown that resveratrol can prevent or slow the progression of a wide variety of diseases (cardiovascular, ischaemic, etc.), increase resistance to stress and increase the life expectancy of many organisms, from yeast to vertebrates: a real fountain of youth!
