The powerful antioxidant resveratrol is also known to promote vasodilation, or the widening of the blood vessel which will improve blood flow. Recently, a group from Northumbria University in UK published a report of their study on how the orally taken resveratrol would affect the human brain.
Their study concentrated on two areas in healthy human adults:
- the effects of resveratrol on cognitive performance, and
- the variation of blood flow to the brain.
They gave a group of 22 healthy adults placebos and two doses (250 and 500 mg) of trans-resveratrol in counterbalanced order on separate days. After 45 minutes resting absorption period, the participants had to perform a selection of cognitive tasks. These tasks would activate the frontal cortex, i.e., part of the brain that handles the higher level thinking, planning, and goal formulation.
By monitoring the total concentration of hemoglobin, they found that there was a dose-dependent increased in blood flow to the brain. Furthermore, the increase in deoxygenated hemoglobin after both doses of resveratrol suggested the presence of enhanced oxygen extraction. They then concluded that taking resveratrol did not affect the cognitive function. However, it could modulate the blood flow in the single doses of orally administered resveratrol.
The study was a well designed one for the following reasons:
- It was randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled to guard against placebo effects or experimenter bias.
- It was a crossover study simply to compare the results of two treatments on the same group of patients.
- It was an internally funded study, and they purchased all the materials on the open market.
To see who is going to benefit from this study, let's check what Dr. Rosenfeld said recently on his Sunday Housecall show on Fox News.
Over the years, hospital data revealed that there are more than 2 million visits to the hospital emergency room due to falls each year, and the percentage of falls increases with age. Dr. Rosenfeld also added the death rate immediately after falls to these data. Then he pointed out that the reduction of blood flow to the brain as one of the reasons that causes falls in the elderly. You may find and watch the video by clicking the link listed below.
After listened to Dr. Rosenfeld mentioned the results of a UK study, I went to search and found the aforementioned report. As far as I know Dr. Rosenfeld was the first to promote that taking resveratrol daily will increase blood flow to the brain of the elderly. That in turn will reduce the risk of falls.
I think this is the third time I saw Dr. Rosenfeld mention that he is taking resveratrol daily in this program. I know there are many ways to prevent elderly people from falls as listed in a footnote of my post. I'm also not quite yet in that age group with a higher risk of falling. However, I will keep taking my resveratrol because of all the other benefits that have also been widely covered here.
Aris Tanone, Ph.D. retired as an optical engineer a decade ago and then went to work in the aerospace industry. Please visit his blog at http://www.at-wellness.net/taking-resveratrol/ to find more info and references. In one of the videos, you will find Dr. Rosenfeld explain why he takes resveratrol everyday.
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