Because of xeno factors’ potent anti-inflammatory effects, scientists around the world are beginning to study their potential benefit in a host of diseases associated with rampant inflammation. These include severe lung disease, colitis, arthritis, and alcohol-induced hepatitis. Let’s look at some of these individually.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an umbrella term for chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and a range of other lung disorders. Around 90 percent of cases are due to smoking tobacco, but I have seen it in my own patients from coal dust, asbestos, and industrial solvents. I witnessed the progressive and devastating symptoms in my mother-a chronic smoker–over the course of approximately twenty years. It begins with shortness of breath often associated with wheezing, and eventually a persistent cough. As it progresses to the severe stage, a bluish discoloration is seen in the lips and fingers: this is due to the lack of oxygen in the blood.
Emphysema is the most common type of COPD. Smoke of any kind damages the elasticity of the lung tissue that supports the alveoli, or air sacs, through which oxygen and carbon dioxide diffuse. These millions of tiny sacs surrounded by capillaries in the lungs absorb oxygen and transfer it into the blood. Toxins such as smoke get trapped in the alveoli and result in a profound inflammatory response. This inflammation is every bit as destructive as an open wound.
According to scientists “Resveratrol exhibited anti-inflammatory activity in all the systems we examined, including laboratory cell lines as well as real human airway epithelial cells.”
They concluded that resveratrol and quercetin found in red wine might be beneficial when steroids have proved ineffective in inflammatory diseases, such as COPD, steroid-resistant asthma, and arthritis.
Disease affecting the intestines and liver may provide the very best targets for orally ingested resveratrol, since one concern with oral ingestion is the legitimate question of how much of the active compound gets into the bloodstream. These polyphenols have direct action and contact with the intestine and then are transported to the liver, so for the intestine and liver, the respective concentrations would be very high and therefore probably more beneficial. Again, human trials are needed to evaluate true efficacy.
Liver Protection from Excess Alcohol
The liver weighs about three pounds and is located in the upper righthand side of the abdominal cavity, just beneath the rib cage. It regulates chemical levels in the blood and excretes bile, which helps to break down fats for further digestion and absorption. All the products of digestion that leave the stomach and intestine pass through the liver. Here the nutrients and drugs that we ingest are broken down into forms that can be used by the rest of the body.
Studies show that Resveratrol reduces mortality and liver damage produced by alcohol in mice. It is suggested that resveratrol could be administered to patients with chronic alcoholism to reduce the mortality and liver damage associated with alcohol abuse.
It could even be prophylactically added to alcoholic beverages, similar to the way chlorine is added to water to prevent infections
Arthritis
Arthritis (from the Greek word artbro, or joint, and -itis, or inflammation) refers to a group of conditions that damage the joints of the body Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in people over the age of fiftyfive. There are many forms, each with a different cause. The two most common types are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Osteoarthritis, often called degenerative arthritis, is a condition in which low-grade inflammation due to normal wear and tear brings about pain in the joints. Usually the cartilage that covers the joints wears down, causing pain during weight-bearing activities such as walking and standing. This condition affects approximately twenty-one million people in the United States and accounts for 25 percent of visits to primary care physicians. Treatment includes nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, local injections of corticosteroids, and in severe cases, joint replacement.
Rheumatoid arthritis, on the other hand, is a chronic inflammatory disease in which the body literally attacks itself, making this an autoimmune disorder. It often involves swelling in many joints at the same time (polyarthritis). The pain is usually worst in the morning, in contrast to the pain of osteoarthritis, which gets worse over the course of the day Rheumatoid arthritis is also associated with anemia and deformities of the joints, particularly the hands and feet. In both types of arthritis, inflammation is the major cause of pain, swelling, and joint destruction.
Because of its potent anti-inflammatory effect, resveratrol is being investigated by scientists around the world for its potential in treating arthritis. since they found that resveratrol exhibited a potent anti-inflammatory effect.
Scientists in Turkey evaluated the effects of resveratrol on chemically induced inflammatory arthritis in animals. They injected irritant material directly into the joints of anesthetized animals and confirmed cartilage destruction in the control group. Those animals treated with resveratrol injected directly into the inflamed joints showed only mild to moderate inflammation compared with the damaged control group. The authors of the study postulated that the reduced inflammation resulted in the improvement. They concluded, “Resveratrol may provide a novel and alternative approach as a disease-modifying agent in the progression of inflammatory arthritis.”
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