Resveratrol - Just Another Reason to Eat Cacao

Yuri Elkaim, BPHE, CK, RHN

 

So we've learned a little bit more about cacao - and specifically raw cacao - and its numerous health-promoting benefits. Now, let's look at what resveratrol is all about and why you probably want more of it in your diet.

 

Resveratrol Mimics the Effect of Calorie Restriction

You may have heard that consuming fewer calories is a good thing, and not just for weight loss. Caloric restriction has been implicated with numerous health and longevity benefits. In simple terms, when the body doesn't have to focus all of its energy on digestion, it can divert its energy on healing and repairing the body. Across the wrorld, the longest living people tend have lower calorie healthy diets. In fact, it is recommended that all it takes is 30% fewer calories to live longer than average!

Studies on yeast have shown that when they are starved they produce an enzyme called sirtuin, which has the ability to repair DNA. Similar findings have been shown in fruit flies, rodents, and monkeys - all of whom live longer when on a calorie-restricted diet.

Ok, now back to resveratrol. Researchers are now speculating that resveratrol may be able to increase the activities of life-promoting enzymes, such as sirtuin, that are present in a low calorie diet.

 

Cardiovascular, Neurological, and Cancer Protection?

According to a recent review article in Nutrition Reviews, resveratrol was shown to improve insulin sensitivity, blood cholesterol levels and have neuroprotective actions in animal studies. Further, the article states that studies in mice indicate that diets high in resveratrol were associated with increased longevity.

More and more research is beginning to show that resveratrol exhibits a plethora of beneficial effects including anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective and anti-tumor activities.

Currently, numerous preclinical findings also suggest resveratrol as a promising natural weapon for cancer prevention and treatment. As a potential anti-cancer agent, resveratrol has been shown to inhibit or retard the growth of various cancer cells in culture and implanted tumors in vivo.

Resveratrol acts by targeting many components of intracellular signaling pathways including pro-inflammatory mediators, regulators of cell survival and apoptosis, and tumor angiogenic and metastatic switches by modulating a distinct set of upstream kinases, transcription factors and their regulators (sorry for being so technical!).

In simpler terms, resveratrol's protective role can be narrowed down to its ability to rid the body of free radicals, its anti-inflammatory effect, and its tendency to hold down cell growth!

 

Put Resveratrol and Cacao to Work For You!

Try the following cacao-based "Chocolate Peanut Butter Monkey" smoothie and allow its magical powers to work wonders for your taste buds and your health.

 

 

Clich here to make cacao and resveratrol a part of your heathy raw diet

 

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References:

Kundu, J. et al (2008). Cancer chemopreventive and therapeutic potential of resveratrol: Mechanistic perspectives. Cancer Letters, 269(2): 243-261.

Hurst, W. et al (2008). Survey of the trans-Resveratrol and trans-Piceid Content of Cocoa-Containing and Chocolate Products. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, 56: 8374-8378.

Davis, C. & Ross, S. (2008). Dietary Components Impact Histone Modifications and Cancer Risk. Nutrition Reviews, 65(2): 88-94.

 

 

 

Copyright © 2008 Total Wellness Consulting.