Latte started to take 2 capsules of Now brand natural resveratrol daily from 21 May 2017.

Latte started to take 2 capsules of Now brand resveratrol daily from 21 May 2017.

Now Foods, Natural Resveratrol, 200 mg, 120 Veggie Caps. S$36.98.

Does Emodin in Knotweed make the latter a unsuitable source of resveratrol?

Japanese Knotweed

History

This plant is native to Eastern Japan, China and Korea. In the United States it is considered an invasive species as it is in most other countries. It is considered on of the worst invasive species in the world. The plant grows rapidly and displaces native species quickly with its large size and is difficult to eradicate due to the way it is able to propagate through it’s root system. Luckily the plant has some redeeming qualities, which should make it very desirable to harvest. It is known as a rich source of the antioxidant Resveratrol.

Function

In addition to the popular antioxidant Resveratrol, Japanese Knotweed also contains a chemical known as emodin.

Emodin has the ability to regulate bowel motility among other things. The Japanese used an alcohol extract of this plant as a natural laxative. Modern preparation from Japanese Knotweed, concentrated to maximize the Resveratrol, contain very little emodin.

The phytochemical Resveratrol has garnered considerable scientific attention for its potential to support healthy blood vessel function and promote heart health. A recent search for studies on Resveratrol through the national library of medicines database; PubMed, yielded over two thousand results.

http://www.gaiaherbs.com/products/ingredient/483/Japanese-Knotweed

Resveratrol vs. Trans-resveratrol (or Knotweed vs Red Grape)

https://vitalplan.com/ingredients/resveratrol

Resveratrol vs. Trans-resveratrol

Trans-resveratrol is the chemical form of resveratrol best absorbed and utilized by the body. While red grapes are high in resveratrol, it must be converted into trans-resveratrol in the body. Japanese knotweed contains mostly trans-resveratrol, making it the preferred source.

Mitochondria, Nicotinamide Riboside, Resveratrol, and Niagen

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/beyond-resveratrol-the-anti-aging-nad-fad/

The following is extracted from the above web link.

Quote

"Mitochondria are our cells' energy dynamos. Descended from bacteria that colonized other cells about 2 billion years, they get flaky as we age. A prominent theory of aging holds that decaying of mitochondria is a key driver of aging. While it's not clear why our mitochondria fade as we age, evidence suggests that it leads to everything from heart failure to neurodegeneration, as well as the complete absence of zipping around the supper table.

Recent research suggests it may be possible to reverse mitochondrial decay with dietary supplements that increase cellular levels of a molecule called NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide). But caution is due: While there's promising test-tube data and animal research regarding NAD boosters, no human clinical results on them have been published.

Structure of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, oxidized (NAD+). (Image: NEUROtiker/Wikimedia)

NAD is a linchpin of energy metabolism, among other roles, and its diminishing level with age has been implicated in mitochondrial deterioration. Supplements containing nicotinamide riboside, or NR, a precursor to NAD that's found in trace amounts in milk, might be able to boost NAD levels. In support of that idea, half a dozen Nobel laureates and other prominent scientists are working with two small companies offering NR supplements.

The NAD story took off toward the end of 2013 with a high-profile paper by Harvard's David Sinclair and colleagues. Sinclair, recall, achieved fame in the mid-2000s for research on yeast and mice that suggested the red wine ingredient resveratrol mimics anti-aging effects of calorie restriction. This time his lab made headlines by reporting that the mitochondria in muscles of elderly mice were restored to a youthful state after just a week of injections with NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide), a molecule that naturally occurs in cells and, like NR, boosts levels of NAD.

It should be noted, however, that muscle strength was not improved in the NMN-treated mice—the researchers speculated that one week of treatment wasn't enough to do that despite signs that their age-related mitochondrial deterioration was reversed.

NMN isn't available as a consumer product. But Sinclair's report sparked excitement about NR, which was already on the market as a supplement called Niagen. Niagen's maker, ChromaDex, a publicly traded Irvine, Calif., company, sells it to various retailers, which market it under their own brand names. In the wake of Sinclair's paper, Niagen was hailed in the media as a potential blockbuster."

UNQUOTE

For more information, pls visit the above web link.

白藜芦醇 benefits YouTube in Chinese

白藜芦醇 benefits YouTube in Chinese

https://youtu.be/2ANJeorF764

CALORIC RESTRICTION MIMETICS (CRM)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4133883/

CALORIC RESTRICTION MIMETICS

Although the beneficial effects of caloric restriction on lifespan and health have been clearly demonstrated, it is difficult to implement such restrictions in our lives. To overcome these difficulties, gerontologists and biologists are attempting to develop drugs to mimic the beneficial effects of caloric restriction without the need for diet limitations. Such medicines are known as caloric restriction mimetics (CRM).

Resveratrol

Resveratrol is a polyphenol compound isolated from the skins of red grapes. Resveratrol is currently the most thoroughly studied CRM. As a CRM, resveratrol was first identified by Sinclair through screening of small molecular libraries for compounds that activate Sirtuin and extend lifespan in a yeast model (56). In that study, they demonstrated that resveratrol can mimic the benefits associated with caloric restriction, and that caloric restriction did not further extend the lifespan of yeast grown in resveratrol supplemented medium. Resveratrol was subsequently shown to extend longevity in worms, flies, fish, and obese mice (57,58). However, a recent study showed that resveratrol had no effect on the longevity of mice fed a normal diet (59). Although the longevity extension effect of resveratrol is not yet certain, it is accepted that resveratrol can improve health and prevent age-related diseases. Further investigations and clarifications are required to verify whether resveratrol is a true CRM.

Rapamycin

Rapamycin, an antibiotic, immune-suppressor drug, is another proposed CRM that has shown a longevity benefit. After studies showing the extension of replicative lifespan of yeast via inhibition of the TOR signaling in response to rapamycin treatment (60), it was reported that rapamycin extends the median and maximum lifespan of 20-month-old mice accompanied with a decrease in TOR activity (61). Since then, many studies have been conducted to ascertain the function of rapamycin as a CRM. However, it is important to note that there is evidence showing adverse side-effects of rapamycin such as an increase in the incidence of diabetes (62).

Metformine

Metformin is another CRM of interest to gerontologists. Metformin is a biguanide used as a drug for treatment of type-2 diabetes that increases insulin sensitivity and activates AMPK. Metformin received a great deal of attention after it was identified in a screening assay of drugs showing similar transcriptional profiles to that of caloric restriction in mice (63). Moreover, metformin was shown to have a caloric restriction-related longevity benefit mediated by the activation of AMPK in C. elegans (64). Metformin also has a beneficial effect on other aspects of the aging process such as a decrease in age-related disease incidence. However, the longevity benefit of metformin was not observed in a Drosophila model in a recent study (65), or in the non-disease rodent model (66). The appearance of evidence showing that metformin is ineffective on longevity in some species has led to uncertainty as to whether metformin is a true CRM.

CONCLUSIONS

As the number of elderly people who cannot undergo physical activities has increased, anti-aging has become one of the ultimate goals of gerontologists. Although it has been 75 years since the beneficial effects of caloric restriction on animal health were first reported, the underlying mechanism of longevity extension in response to food restriction has still not been identified. Further organized and global investigations encompassing various research fields using well-developed genetic model animals and well-controlled practical human studies will enable the aging process to be controlled, thus allowing humans to live healthier and happier lives in the near future.

Resveratrol - What is

Info source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Resveratrol

Resveratrol is a natural compound found in grapes, mulberries, peanuts, and other plants or food products, especially red wine, that may protect against cancer and cardiovascular disease by acting as an antioxidant, antimutagen, and anti-inflammatory.