Resveratrol, like Green Tea and Acai Berry, is undergoing a massive popularity explosion as the numerous health benefits of Resveratrol are explored and discussed. Commonly thought to be found in wine, Resveratrol is actually found primarily in the skins of various fruits (especially grapes).

The chances are good that your diet already has a certain amount of Resveratrol in it. If you eat fruits that have a skin, or drink the occasional glass of wine, you are already ingesting small amounts of it. Resveratrol is, as you may or may not be aware, the newly discovered cause of the French Paradox.

What is the French Paradox?

The French Paradox is the nickname that has been given to the mystery that surrounds the high-fat/high-carbohydrate French diet. North Americans, following a similar calorie-heavy diet, experience heart conditions and other cardiovascular ailments at rates that are leaps and bounds higher than what the French experience.

First brought to light by 60 Minutes in the early 1990s, the French Paradox has received a good amount of exposure - and scientific inquiry - over the last 15 years or so. The end result being that the French diet, though quite similar in its macro-nutritional breakdown (30% protein, 40% fat, 30% carbohydrates), differed in one seemingly-infinitesimal area: red wine.

Red wine contains, as scientists have recently discovered, a relatively high amount of Resveratrol.

What does Resveratrol do for the human body?

Resveratrol is a still a relatively new compound, so the complete effects of the substance are still somewhat hazy. However, it has been dubbed the anti-aging miracle by many thanks to the primary benefits that Resveratrol has already been linked to. These benefits include but are not necessarily limited to:

• Increases elasticity of the skin - Resveratrol has been shown to reduce the appearance of wrinkles when taken in moderate doses. These effects have been noticed in both topically applied and ingested variants of Resveratrol.
• Has been shown to act as a preventative agent towards cancerous growths - A 1997 study has shown that Resveratrol successfully acted as an inhibitor in lab mice that were infected with cancerous cells. While a study has not yet been conducted in humans regarding Resveratrol's cancer fighting abilities, many people remain optimistic.
• Antioxidant and elimination of free radicals - Like the wildly popular Acai Berry or Green Tea supplements, Resveratrol has been found to act as an immensely efficient antioxidant. This enables Resveratrol to help your body eliminate free radicals, increasing your body's ability to recover from stress or intense exercise.

The natural properties of Resveratrol

Resveratrol acts as a shield in the skins of fruit that it is found in, protecting the fruit from invading viruses, fungi, or bacteria. Due to this reason scientists remain extremely confident that consumption of Resveratrol in quantity will not have any adverse health risks, as it is already present in the human diet.

Resveratrol is still being actively studied, though many companies are doing their own research and creating supplements based on the compound. Be it as an aid for weight loss, skin care, wrinkle removal, or overall personal well being, Resveratrol is well on its way to changing the way people think about supplements and about their diet.