Have you heard of resveratrol? It made mainstream headlines a year or two ago when it was revealed that scientists had ‘discovered’ a possible ‘fountain of youth’. At which point the naturopathic community said ‘Gee, that sounds a lot like resveratrol’, as this substance has been prescribed by naturopaths for some time. It is a compound that is found in a herb called the Giant, or Japanese Knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum), and it also happens to be a component of red wine (don’t get too excited – it is estimated that you would have to drink several litres in order to obtain a therapeutic amount!). The Knotweed plant has a history of use in Traditional Chinese Medicine for a variety of complaints (such as abdominal pains, rheumatism and injuries, among others). What has excited scientists is that this compound has been shown to mimic the effect of calorie restriction (a known anti-ageing factor). It is also a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. * References available on request
Posted on: Thu, 05 Sep 2013 02:36:53 +0000
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