At present the resveratrol supplement industry is made up of diverse products from a variety of manufacturers and producers distributed through multiple channels. Go online, and you may quickly become confused by hundreds of different claims and counterclaims; assertions with little documentation about purity, manufacturing processes, sources, and health benefits are rampant. The fact is, very little can be found out from manufacturers or distributors about these claims in order to objectively confirm or repudiate them. Unless we can obtain this information from well-designed human research studies or prove sirtuin activation using laboratory studies, it truly is caveat emptor, or buyer beware, at this stage in the resveratrol story: That having been said, if you decide to take a resveratrolcontaining dietary supplement, the optimal product would have the following characteristics:
• Produced in an oxygen-free environment
• Stored away from heat
• Made with trans-resveratrol, not cis-resveratrol
• Shown to activate sirtuin activity through professional testing
• Produced by manufacturers who comply with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
• Free from fillers or additives such as sugar, starch, gluten, and artificial colors or flavors
Health Claims-Past the Hype!
“Now in a Pill” “The Fountain of Youth Has Now Arrived” “Explains the French Paradox” These are but a few of the many marketing claims being made by manufacturers of supplements containing resveratrol. Of course, more is better, and the advertising hyperbole continues to rise. Additionally, many companies claim that their products will bring about the same result as the French paradox.Certainly if lab animals were in the market for a health-improving poJyphenol dietary supplement, we could factually say that these supplements:
• Increase longevity
• Increase mitochondria and exercise endurance
• Help you resist weight gain
• Improve insulin sensitivity
• Impede cancer cell growth
• Protect the heart
Also,if human cell lines were purchasing supplements containing resveratrol,they would be glad to hear that these products can:
• Inhibit many human cancer cell lines
• Improve cardiac muscle cells
• Improve insulin sensitivity
For humans the research is still scarce. Besides studies show that 5-gram dose of purified resveratrol is safe in humans, most human studies have just received funding or are in the early stages of collecting data. The next several years should see an explosion of human polyphenol and resveratrol supplement studies, which hopefully will mirror successful studies in animals.
So what can be said about resveratrol dietary supplements available today? The Food and Drug Administration, which regulates claims by supplement manufacturers or distributors, allows statements that resveratrol and’ most of the other phytonutrients in plants can act as powerful antioxidants. This is very good news because humans have lost the ability to produce their own antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, and therefore can obtain them only from the foods we eat. Resveratrol, as an antioxidant, can claim to participate in physiological, biochemical, or cellular processes that inactivate free radicals or prevent free-radical-initiated chemical reactions. This definition, directly from the FDA, has been proved and cited in the many studies presented in this book describing the antioxidant actions of resveratrol and the other polyphenols studied in both animals and humans. The other claim that is important to look for in a resveratrol-containing dietary supplement is whether or not it can activate the sirtuin genes and enzymes as shown in Howitz and Sinclair’s 2003 study. If the manufacturer has done the proper testing, this claim can be made.
Because of the hype surrounding resveratrol and the desire of many manufacturers and distributors to strike it rich, rarely do you see the following discussed in the advertisements:
• The source of resveratrol (polygonum, grape skin or seed “blends,” or purified sources)
• The concentration and amount of resveratrol
• The dose as based on animal-to-human conversion
• Sirtuin activation
Manufacturing and Testing Resveratrol Dietary Supplements
As we have discussed, there are more then ten thousand different polyphenols found in the plant kingdom. They are generally concentrated in the skins of plants, especially fruit, are often associated with the colored pigment, and often act as plant protection against herbivores, insects, and fungi. Dietary supplements that contain these polyphenols are sensitive to exposure to air, oxidative enzymes, and heat. Just as fruit left on a shelf can spoil, so can resveratrol and other polyphenols spoil during harvesting, manufacturing, and shipping.
Processing and manufacturing resveratrol, one of the most sensitive polyphenols, can lead to significant exposure to oxygen, which causes rapid oxidation and loss of biological function. Testing conducted by Dr. Sinclair led him to state that there are no commercial resveratrol products that are not Oxidized; sealed bottles of red wine can provide unoxidized resveratrol, but once opened, they will oxidize rapidly. Some current producers of resveratrol supplements reject this observation and contend that advancements in manufacturing and storage can reduce the oxidation process. Additional methods used by manufacturers to help reduce oxidation include:
• Microscopic phospholipid “wrap” that seals the products in airtight beads
• Sealing supplements in an opaque nitrogen-filled container
• Mixing resveratrol with other polyphenols
• Adding other antioxidants
• Creating a liquid supplement stored in a sealed bottle
• Storing and shipping in refrigerated or frozen container
The two major sources of resveratrol used in supplements are Polygonum cuspidatum (Japanese knotweed) fruit skins, such as red grape skins, that are concentrated and made into polyphenol drink and powder blends. The term blends is often used in labeling dietary supplements because this allows the manufacturer or distributor to avoid providing the specific amounts of each component in the blend.
Therefore a resveratrol blend may have only the smallest fraction of resveratrol in it. The production of purified resveratrol extract, generally from Polygonum cuspidatum, requires costly manufacturing and refining capabilities. Just as with oil, the amount of refining that goes into the final product will influence the final price. For example, a 50 percent resveratrol product may cost $65 per kilogram, whereas a 98 percent resveratrol product may cost $650 per kilogram. Typically, labels on resveratrol supplements do not cite the purity or the percentage of resveratrol being used. Thus with many dietary supplement products, the consumer is often paying for inert fillers, with low concentrations of resveratro.
Another compound found in some resveratrol products is emodin. Emodin is a natural resin that historically has been used as an herbal extract for medical treatment. Plants such as rhubarb, aloe and also polygonum cuspidatum used to make many commercial resveratrol products generally contain this resin. The resin belongs to a family of compounds called anthraquinones. Natural healers have reported it to have antiviral, immunosuppressive, anti-inflammatory; and anticancer effects. In general, however, it is known to be a natural laxative. Those who take resveratrol supplements that are not highly purified can develop loose stools due to emodin present in the product. Generally this is a short-term problem, but resveratrol that is 98 to 99 percent pure should not contain any significant amount of emodin.
Products containing resveratrol are shipped to various distributors around the world. If proper temperature controls or light- and airprotection containers are not used, these products will oxidize rapidly. Knowledgeable distributors recognize the need for protective packaging and often promote this in their advertising. But whether the same precautions are taken during the actual sourcing and manufacturing is often unknown.
Because of the “buyer beware” reputation often associated with the supplement industry; there are several private watchdog organizations in addition to the FDA and the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) that review product claims, Rarely, however, do they determine whether a product actually contains the amount of resveratrol that it claims to have.
The results of ConsumerLab.com’s analysis of nineteen commercially available products performed in November 2007 revealed three products with significantly less resveratrol than was claimed on the label. There was no Significant contamination found in any of the products.Interestingly, the recommended dose ranged from 1 milligram to 1,000 milligrams, and the cost varied from 10 cents to $45 per 100 milligrams of resveratrol.
In general, reports from watchdog organizations and even reviews by the FDA and FCC do not ensure that a resveratrol supplement will mirror the results seen in animal studies. Human studies on several commercially available products-and on some still not available-are currently under way, and will eventually confirm to what degree these products work in people.
Longevinex is one of the first resveratrol products based on the scientific work of Sinclair, Guarente, and others, and the company has gone to considerable lengths to emphasize the quality of this webbased product. Its capsules are reportedly processed in a nitrogen (nonoxygen) environment, protected from light exposure by placement in an opaque capsule, and then sealed in a foil package. Microencapsulation is used and said to enhance absorption and reduce negative effects from direct exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Also added to the trans-resveratrol are vitamin D3 and quercetin. The company reports that its tests confirm sirtuin gene activation. The capsules come in 100 milligrams, and one to three per day are recommended, at a cost of approximately $1.23 per capsule.
Biotivia is a resveratrol dietary supplement distributor whose product Bioforte Resveratrol 500 is reported to have 250 milligrams of transresveratrol as assessed by HPLC provided by ConsumerLab.com, and by its own photomicrograph ex 100) analysis. On the basis of Biotivia’s cost of approximately 12 cents per milligram of resveratrol, it appears to have the most inexpensive pricing at this time. Its products are now manufactured in a nitrogen environment and protected from light in a GMP facility. Biotivia maintains that its product has superior bioavailability and promotes NAD and the SIRT1-4 longevity enzymes.
There is hope that the industry has begun to understand the unique manufacturing, storage, and testing issues associated with resveratrol.
Partial List of Available Resveratrol Dietary Supplements
Distributor Product Name Amount of Resveratrol
Arkopharma French Paradox 1mg
Biotivia Resveratrol Bioforte 250mg
Country Life Resveratrol Plus Antioxidant 100mg
Douglas Laboratories Resvera-Gold 25mg
Duplin Vineyards NutraGrape 0.01 mg
Invite Health Resveratrol HX 100mg
Jarrow Formulas Resveratrol-100 100mg
Life Extension Resveratrol 100 mg, 250 mg
New Chapter Zyflamend 6.4mg
Paradise Herbs Resveratrol 15mg
Pure Encapsulations Resveratrol 40mg
Renaissance Health Revatrol 100mg
Publishing
Resveratrol Partners Longevinex 100mg
RevGenetics X1000 990mg
Solaray Resveratrol 15 mg
Source Naturals Resveratrol 20mg
Swanson Health High Potency 50mg
Shaklee Corporation Vivix 100mg
Note: If both trans-resveratrol and total resveratrol are listed, the trans amount will be shown. All resveratrol amounts are self-reported by the distributor. The amount of resveratrol listed is based on the label’s daily serving size.
Almost every major vitamin and supplement wholesaler and retailer possesses its own brand name of resveratrol-containing supplements.
Many companies have taken Dr. Sinclair’s critical remarks about the inactivity of various supplements as a challenge and are addressing areas of resveratroI purity, oxidation risk, and retained biological function. No we’ve seen, several cutting-edge companies like Longevinex, Biotivia, RevGenetics, and others are attempting to prove that their dietary supplements contain biologically active resveratrol.
The current standard should at least include quantified amounts of transresveratrol content using HPC and lab certification of sirtuin activity. Recently Longevinex has used a gene chip about the size of a credit card, which provides data on the expression level of more than twenty thousand genes, in order to demonstrate that this product has powerful gene activating capabilities.
Several resveratrol-containing dietary supplements are now being used in human trials, which will provide the definitive answer regarding effectiveness in people. Biotivia, for example, is using its product in cancer research studies in India.
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