Relax with a Glass of Red Wine and a Probiotic
Posted by Mairi Ross on Tue, Mar 03, 2009 @ 08:37 AM
Did you see the 60 Minutes show on resveratrol?
Well, if you didn’t, you’re about the only one. Resveratrol is all the buzz,now.
I ghost wrote a book on resveratrol a couple of years ago for a cardiologist and now all my friends and family are calling to tell me that I’m not the total supplement nut head they thought I was.
Flashback…two years ago--friends and family: “You’re writing about res…what?”
Two years ago-- me: “Resveratrol –an obscure non-flavonoid polyphenol molecule called a stilbene that is found in red wine and the root of a weird Japanese knotweed plant. There have been some interesting mouse studies showing resveratrol may help reduce damaging effects of a fatty diet, keep your muscles buff without exercising, increase stamina and extend lifespan due to its effects on the sirtuin gene.”
Riiiiiiigght. Yeah, they couldn’t get to the door fast enough. Now, everybody wants to know about resveratrol because…okay, I’m going to say it… those scientists on 60 Minutes were shameless hucksters.
Oh yeah, and they discovered that resveratrol may (or may not) extend the lifespan of mice and it definitely seems to keep them healthier—even if they are on a junky diet full of fat (like a lot of Americans).
Transcript from CBS News – 60 Minutes “ Fountain of Youth in a Wine Rx?”
A pill that - in effect - diets for you, a pill that turns on the survival gene.
About the little mice on resveratrol….. "Their organs looked pristine, youthful, fat-free, and their physiology was just like they were dieting. But they were fat."
“We're talking about is potentially making a 90-year-old as healthy as a 60-year-old.”
Zowee! Gimme some of that! Well, maaaybe in five years says Sinclair. Stay tuned. Never mind. That’s pharma show biz.
Yes, I take resveratrol. It is a nifty little molecule that appears to do things nothing else does—signals some good genes to help us live longer and healthier, pumps out a bit more nitric oxide. Can’t argue with that.
I especially like a rabbit study by D.K. Das that showed if you’re a rabbit and you happen to be taking taking resveratrol (or munching on grapes or the roots of Japanese knotweed) and you have a heart attack or stroke (called an ischemic event for you nerds out there)…guess what? You’re going to have a much better chance of surviving that heart attack or stroke in good shape! That’s a great benefit, no? Especially since heart attacks can strike without warning. I feel prepared. And the dosage doesn’t have to be that big – say 100-200 mg a day.
While all of these animal studies is interesting stuff, resveratrol has not yet been clinically studied for these benefits in humans. Yet, it is an excellent antioxidant and will probably helpful in scavenging those nasty free radicals.
Now I find out that resveratrol is good to take with your probiotic.
You are all taking a probiotic, right? Good for your gut, your immune system, getting a date… ha ha just kidding.
I love probiotics—I take one of those everyday, too. Got gas? Probiotics. “Regularity” problems? Probiotics. Flying on airplanes with sneezing, coughing strangers to faraway places with weird food and god-knows-what in the water? Probiotics.
Probiotics contain loads of “good bacteria.” But like all critters, good bacteria need to eat the right kind of food to grow and be healthy in your gut. The right kind of food is called a “prebiotic.”
Dr. Gary Huffnagle, PhD, awesome investigator of probiotics and author of a fantastic, easy-to-read and informative book The Probiotic Revolution, emailed me this mouse study* that showed resveratrol was a good prebiotic. Hey, mice like a nice glass of red wine, too! Thanks Gary!
*Dolora P, et al. Mutat Res. 2005 Dec 11;591(1-2):237-46.