Health Watch readers know that resveratrol is a controversial antioxidant. We’ve told you before about the heart-healthy benefits of it…though some “experts” are quick to dismiss them. But the numbers tell a different story.
According to new research from Germany, there’s a new reason to seek out more of it. Now you can add cognitive support to its already impressive list of benefits.
A team of German scientists looked at a group of 46 adults. They were all between the ages of 50 and 75. This is the timeframe when “senior moments” can become a little more common. After 26 weeks they found subjects taking 200 mg of resveratrol a day performed significantly better on memory tests than those using a placebo.1
The biggest effect was on short-term memory tests using word retention. They found resveratrol supports memory by improving functional connectivity in your hippocampus. This is the part of your brain that makes sense of information. It also manages both short and long-term memory.2 But this is just one piece of a bigger puzzle.
Earlier studies revealed resveratrol may boost memory in older mice.3 Others show that resveratrol boosts blood flow to the brain.4 This means it helps get more oxygen—and vital nutrients—into the organ. It doesn’t just help improve function in critical areas of the brain. It allows more “fuel” to get where it’s needed most.
In other words, it’s not something you want to overlook if you want to keep your memory sharp. But you may not be able to get enough of it from diet alone.
You may already know resveratrol is the all-star antioxidant in red wine. But you only get a small amount of it in each glass. You’d have to drink at least two glasses to even get half a milligram of resveratrol. And although you can also get it from foods like organic dark chocolate and acai berries… It just won’t be enough to make valuable impact on your health.
That doesn’t mean you should stop enjoying a glass or two of red wine with dinner… But it does mean you should consider finding a quality, natural supplement. The subjects in the German study got 200 mg a day for 26 weeks with no side effects. In fact, they even got the added perk of improving their blood sugar levels. But you don’t have to aim that high…
A 25 mg dose of resveratrol is plenty when it comes to delivering health benefits you can feel. Just be sure to avoid “mega-doses” that give you 1,000 mg—or more—of it. Where you get your resveratrol from makes all the difference…
It’s a key ingredient in our popular Bio PT Elixir. And just one of 16 nutrients jam-packed into this delicious 6-oz drink. Find out why one Bio PT Elixir user says, “I have the energy of someone half my age,” by watching this special video presentation.
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References:
1http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24899709
2http://psychology.about.com/od/memory/ss/ten-facts-about-memory_2.htm
3http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/memory-medic/201406/mental-health-benefits-resveratrol-new-plaudits
4http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Research/Resveratrol-may-boost-blood-flow-in-the-brain-Study