What is SIRT1?

What Are The Benefits of Resveratrol?

Author: Ron J. Myers

By now you probably have heard about resveratrol. Based on many reports, resveratrol does seem to be an amazing substance. Many people know that resveratrol has been given as the explanation for the "French Paradox", which is the name given for the fact that the French have very low rates of heart disease, despite the fact that they typically consume a high fat diet. The French consume a lot of red wine, which contains resveratrol. Most scientist think that the resveratrol in red wine has saved the French from high rates of heart disease.

However, other than it being an explanation for the "French Paradox", many people are not aware of all the benefits of resveratrol. Right now, scientist believe their are many other benefits to resveratrol.

To date, the benefits of resveratrol are thought to include improvement in heart health, better resistance against diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, and even protection against many cancers. Some people believe that resveratrol can help with weight loss because it causes the secretion of sirtuins. Sirtuins are a type of protein that metabolizes fat. Perhaps the biggest benefit of resveratrol is that it may slow down the aging process. Preliminary research suggest that resveratrol causes an effect similar to a calorie restricted diet. Prior research has shown that calorie restricted diets have a tendency to prolong life.

Resveratrol & SiRT1 Take Center Stage: 60 Minutes Reports!

Chances are you've heard about the resveratrol buzz.  However, just in case you missed it, below is the widely talked about 60 Minutes Resveratrol Segment aired on 1-25-2009.  Dr. David Sinclair and Dr. Christoph Westphal of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals explain how resveratrol works to activate Sirtuins, SiRT1 in particular, and how Calorie Restriction is a major component in their research.

Anti-aging Effects of Resveratrol via SiRT1 Activation

A recent study suggests that activating the Sirt1 gene via Resveratrol is most likely to induce the dietary restrictive effects of the SiRT1 gene.  The article titled, "Red Wine Ingredient Wards Off Effects of Age on Heart, Bones, Eyes and Muscle," was written to document a recent study completed on mice.

I found certain parts of the article well worth pointing out and have done so below:

Rafael de Cabo of the National Institute on Aging mentioned the following,

“ From a health point of view, the quality of life of these mice at the end of their days is much better,” said Rafael de Cabo of the National Institute on Aging. It suggests that resveratrol may “extend productive, independent life, rather than just extending life span.”

Resveratrol & SiRT1: an activator and a longevity gene meet.

In recent years there has been many studies done to learn more about the SiRT1 enyme also known as the SiR2 enzyme.  At the same time there has become an increased awareness about the effects of polyphenols, the most common polyphenol is resveratrol.  Resveratrol can be found in two main forms, cis- and trans- form.  Most of the resveratrol supplements in the market consist of the "trans" form.

What is resveratrol you might ask?  You can vist www.myresveratrolexperience.com for an in-depth look at resveratrol.  However, in short resveratrol is a phytoalexin produced by plants as a natural anti-biotic to fight disease and fungi.  This defense mechanism, resveratrol, is found in several types of plants and foods including peanuts, grape skin, cranberries, and kost commonly in Japanese Knotweed (aka polygonum cupsidatum).

SIRT1, an explanation.

This site has been created as a resource to learning more about SIRT1.  Those of you looking for information regarding medical studies, research reports, related SIRT1 supplements and drugs, have come to the right place.  I will treat this site as a Sirt1 FAQ and urge visitors to post or email me with any information regarding SIRT1.

Let's begin... a descriptive definition of what SIRT1 is:

From http://www.myresveratrolexperience.com

"SIRT1 can be explained as our bodies "judge and jury" as to whether or not a cell should live or die.  When our body ages or is under attack our cells have to make a decision.  That decision is basically to either give up and die or to fight and try to repair itself from the damage thats being done to it.  SIRT1 is an enzyme that can help tell the cell what it should do.  So if there is more SIRT1 available, or activated, there is a better chance for that cell to try and repair itself and live on.

So what can cause damage to our cells?  Well, it seems the list is endless so to shorten it I'll point out a high calorie, high fat diet can cause cells to become damaged and eventually die off.  Certain diseases (type II diabetes is one) often caused by these two diet habits causes cells to become damaged and inhibit SIRT1 activation.  This brings in another cell factor, mitochondria, aka "cellular power plants".  The mitochondria are important for many reasons but as it relates to poor diet, they are effective in burning fat.  The more efficiently functioning mitochondria you have in a cell the more fat that will be burned and the greater the chance for cell survival."