Resveratrol – the key to successful weight loss?

For anyone who is trying to lose weight, or who has tried to diet in the past, success is often elusive. The trouble is that while you might shed the weight, it is difficult to keep the weight off after the diet period ends. However, research is showing that the red wine compound Resveratrol may be a key ingredient to successful weight loss and keeping the weight off afterwards.

Calorie restriction

The classic method of dieting is reducing the amount of calories in the diet to levels below the daily requirement for the body. The body is, in effect, burning more energy than it takes in. The response to lower levels of glucose in the blood at any given time stimulates the conversion of fats and proteins into glucose for the muscles and brain to utilise.

This is also why it is recommended that you increase the amount of daily exercise you get. By increasing the number of calories you burn off in a day through exercise, you are speeding up the weight loss by stimulating your body to convert more fat into usable energy. However, extended calorie restriction diets are difficult to maintain in the long term.

Sugars, weight gain and the French Paradox

The link between excess sugar in the diet and weight gain are well documented. If we consume more sugar or glucose than our bodies need, the excess glucose is stored for later use by the body, and most often this storage is in the fat cells. The same goes for fat consumption. Fat is a high energy substance, and beneficial to the body in some forms. However, like sugars, if our diet contains too much fat the body reacts to store this excess energy for later use.

So what about the phenomenon called 'French Paradox'? Many researchers recognise that the French diet is often high in calories, especially in fats, yet France does not seem to have the rates of obesity and diet-related health issues as other Western countries.
The reason for the paradox may be because of the consumption of red wine in France and other Mediterranean countries. Scientists studying the effects of the polyphenol chemical compound Resveratrol found in red grape wine have shown that Resveratrol helps to prevent fat storage, and found that it actually inhibits pre-fat cells from changing into mature fat cells. Resveratrol also acts to lower the amount of sugars in the blood, preventing it from changing into fat. Interestingly, studies have also shown that Resveratrol can increase the levels of 'good' cholesterol in the blood.

Holding the keys to healthy living

Adding the health benefits of Resveratrol to a healthy diet and regular exercise may be the key recipe for successful weight loss. While the research continues into other health benefits of Resveratrol, users of supplements like Biotivia's Resveratrol report increased energy levels, a drop in blood pressure or a drop in weight. Losing weight can lead to other health benefits including decreased risk of heart disease, diabetes and other weight-related problems.