Resveratrol Supplements Are Finally Put to the Test

The market for dietary supplements is ever growing, especially as medical and nutritional scientists unearth new items with previously unknown health benefits. Our collective obsession with youth is an area many are keen to capitalize on, and fortunately there are supplements that can help beat back the ravages of age. Resveratrol is one such supplement that supplement manufacturers have claimed can assist in that goal.

Or can it? Found naturally in red wine, resveratrol has been promoted as a key component in a diet designed to help you look and feel younger. But new research into these claims has revealed it might be more flash than fact. Some researchers who have promoted resveratrol have been found to be taking millions in funding to offer support for the supplement’s supposed claims. And other studies, ones conducted independently and fairly, are revealing that in fact resveratrol may be harmful, not helpful, to your health.

Athletes and others who engage in regular exercise have been shown to see their arteries constrict when taking resveratrol supplements. This reduces the amount of oxygen available to the body, and can be dangerous. And even when a person can take resveratrol without putting their health at risk, it does reduce the efficiency of their time in the gym. So maybe resveratrol isn’t the best thing to keep on your shelf.