Boosting your brain power with Resveratrol

There has been a lot of talk in the news lately about boosting your brain power with mental exercises or 'brain training'. And while results show training your brain does little to actually improve your cognitive functions beyond learned repetition, new research is showing that a simple phytochemical compound called Resveratrol may boost your brain power.

Resveratrol is found in red grape skins and flesh. Its presence in red wine is thought to contribute to red wine's reputed heart and health promoting properties. It can also be found other dark fruits like blueberries, raspberries and pomegranate. Studies into Resveratrol's health promoting benefits show it acts in much the same way as calorie-restricted diets to promote longevity and improve overall health.

Better brains with fewer calories

Over 70 years ago, studies were conducted on mice that showed that a calorie-restricted diet extended the life spans of the mice, sometimes by up to 50%. The researchers also showed that mice on these calorie-restricted diets showed improved motor skills, memory, cognition and reaction times when compared with mice of a similar elderly age.

Since then, many studies have supported this research showing that in mammals, calorie restriction improves life spans and reduces age-related disease, effectively increasing life quality as well as length.

Resveratrol mimics calorie-restricted diet's effects

Recent studies on Resveratrol have shown that it mimics the longevity and health-promoting effects of calorie-restricted diets. Specifically, Resveratrol has been shown to act on regions of the brain that affect diabetes, and it seems to protect the nerves themselves from damage and oxidative stress due to aging. Because most humans cannot maintain a calorie-restricted diet as in the other mammalian studies, Resveratrol is receiving a lot of attention. New studies are being conducted now on humans to prove its effectiveness in prolonging quality of life as well as its effects on brain power.

One study conducted at Northumbria University revealed that adults who had taken Resveratrol did better at mental maths tests than the control group.

Blood flow and protecting nerve cells

Where Resveratrol seems to benefit the brain is by improving blood vessel functions. Resveratrol lowered cholesterol levels, reduced blood vessel hardening and lessened oxidative stress within the blood vessels. On their own, each of these effects has been shown to produce affect brain function. Taken together, the power of Resveratrol to boost brain power seems evident.

Another area where Resveratrol seems to protect our brains is in its ability to protect nerves at a cellular level, preventing damage to DNA, and its action in reducing inflammation in tissues.

Though Resveratrol comes from many plants, much of the discussion of Resveratrol has focussed on its presence in red wine. While we don't deny that it is present in red wines, we would caution you on its use as a brain booster – alcohol, of course, tends to have the opposite effect on brain power than we might like. So supplements like Resveratrol seem like the right route to boosting your brain power.