Many of us are well aware of the properties of resveratrol, even if we don’t instantly recognise it by name. Resveratrol is the antioxidant found in the skin of red grapes and the reason behind the medical recommendation of drinking a glass of red wine a day! Whether or not that well-applauded health advice remains current, its essence is the same – certain red fruits provide abundant wellness benefits when used as complementary supplements to health and wellness.
Resveratol has a closely related chemical cousin called pterostilbene, found in blueberries and grapes. Recent studies suggest it may be superior in its action in boosting brain function, and may also have beneficial effects in treating asthma and cancer. One recent study compared the effectiveness of the two compounds in light of their influence on cognition and pathology for Alzheimer’s disease. Experiments on mice given equivalent doses of resveratrol and pterostilbene showed that the latter had a significantly stronger effect on cognition and cellular stress – the key marker for Alzheimer’s. The study may well indicate that pterostilbene has the edge on resveratrol in contributing to brain function.
However, the competition between the two can stay in the lab. For those of us seeking complementary health advice, it suffices to say that both compounds prove the effectiveness of using berries as ‘super-foods’. Blueberries and grapes carry the benefits of both compounds in abundance, so the advantages of using them as a dietary supplement for improving brain function, circulation and general wellbeing are unquestionable. Both resveratrol and pterostilbene are types of photo-nutrients called stilbenoids, found naturally occurring in red berries. Stilbenoids are substances made by plants as a response to infectious attacks – they are, in other words, the plant’s own natural antibiotic. This is just one of the reasons why berries are so packed full of healing properties. Make the most of nature’s gift and make red berries a daily part of your nutritional program.
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