by Marmee Cosico

Created on: November 25, 2009

Serendipity or not? The discovery of a structurally simple plant chemical known as "resveratrol" has led to the release of several thousands of articles documenting its amazing health benefits. Resveratrol is a dietary phytoalexin (phyton means plant and alexin means defend) which is a powerful antioxidant that has cancer preventive properties. It is a constituent of red wine which comes with the highest concentrations of resveratrol from the skin of grapes. It has been proven to interfere with all three (3) stages of carcinogenesis: (1) initiation, (2) promotion, and (3) progression. It is responsible for the famous "French Paradox" study which claims that large amounts of red wine consumed by people in France protected them from heart attack. Among the numerous studies attempting to identify the health benefits of red wine has led to the findings of resveratrol.

In November,2008, researchers at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York reported that dietary supplementation with resveratrol reduced plaque formation in animal brains which is a component of Alzheimer ad other neurodegenerative diseases. Weill Cornell Cancer Center, New York further investigated the absorption and metabolism of resveratrol through crystallographic analysis as an integral part of their cancer chemopreventive discovery efforts.

Current studies on resveratrol exhibited anticancer actions on different body organs like breasts, skin, gastric, colon, esophagus, prostate, pancreas and blood (leukemia) where tumors exists. Resveratrol fights breast cancer by "inducing growth inhibition" in the expression of human breast cancer cells. The topical application of resveratrol before and after exposure to solar (UVB) radiation prevents skin cancer tumors on hairless mice. Also, resveratrol (1 mg/kg orally) reduced the number and size of the esophageal tumors in rats. Lung cancer risk is lowered an average of 2% for each glass of red wine consumed per month. Resveratrol also protects against cigarette smoke induced oxidative stress. Men who drink 4 to 7 glasses of red wine per week are less likely to have prostate cancer. Resveratrol kills the pancreatic tumor cells by disabling the cancer cell's "mitochondria" (aka powerhouse of the cell). A strong evidence of anticancer activity of resveratrol exists when they come in "direct" contact with gastrointestinal tract tumors. Grape seed (muscadine grapes) extract destroys leukemia cells. Although most of the above mentioned studies

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