A common dietary supplement form of resveratrol, taken at the relatively low dose of 40 mg per day for 6 weeks, could turn down the primary inflammatory gene signal known as NF-kappaB and consequently lower key markers of inflammation such as TNFa, IL6, and C-reactive protein. Since the inflammatory problem is underlying the deteriorating health of just about anyone, including the process of accelerated aging, this human study data is very significant.
All diseases of aging, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and cognitive decline are marked by the central inflammation gene signal, NF-kappaB, in a condition of excessive pro-inflammatory signaling. The new study adds more proof to the existing data that shows resveratrol is one nutrient (there are others) that helpfully dampens NF-kappaB activation. In turn this lowers the production of key inflammatory metabolic signals and the adverse production of free radicals.
Nutrients hold a tremendous advantage over drugs in the proper regulation of NF-kappaB. This core gene signal is vital to the survival of every cell in your body and it is the brain of every cell. NF-kappaB has actual intelligence in terms of how cell survival is guided. It not only has the ability to deal with stress based on experience, but it also has the ability to find strategies for dealing with new types of stress (such as man-made chemicals).
Thus, you cannot just obliterate NF-kappaB function with a drug in the name of reducing inflammation as doing so knocks out the core survival system of the cell. Nutrients are used by cells to enhance regulation. They don’t force regulation, rather they enable the cell to regulate more efficiently. It appears cells do best when there are a variety of plant compounds that enable NF-kappaB to work more efficiently. Resveratrol is one nutrient in this category and one of the top choices — making it a powerful tool for natural support and potentially better quality of health.
Byron J. Richards is a world-renowned nutrition expert and board-certified clinical nutritionist. He has been educating the public for the last 25 years with his natural health newsletter, books on leptin weight loss and popular health podcast .