Tuesday, April 8, 2008

red wine for fibroids?

Picking up from Serra's helpful comment on my post about chocolate, I looked into the connection between resveratrol and fibroids.

Resveratrol is a compound found in red wine (and also grapeskins and peanuts and blueberries). Here's more information about it on this page. Evidently it's the fermentation process that really makes the resveratrol, so wine is better than just grape juice. And red wine has more than white, because there are more skins included.

Resveratrol was found by doctors at the University of Michigan to have action against fibroids in vitro. according to this research. According to what's written here, next step is animal studies. Looking at other research however, it seems that resveratrol taken in the form of food or supplements is unlikely to reach the bloodstream in sufficient quantities to have a therapeutic effect, at least in the case of cancers. So don't go out and buy the resveratrol supplements yet!

Also interestingly, according to this page resveratrol is a phytoestrogen, so too much of it would probably not be good for fibroid shrinkers.

As reported in an earlier post, research has shown that alcohol consumption can promote fibroids. This makes sense because alcohol is a burden to the liver.

However, if you're like me you can't resist a drink once in a while socially. Amd there are documented health benefits of consuming alcohol in moderation. My acupuncturist says up to 3 glasses of wine a week are ok. although I seldom do that. But from now on when I drink, it's going to be red wine! But I wouldn't go out and drink just to get the resveratrol.

Update Oct. 2013: Resveratrol is apparently better taken up by human tissues when delivered in a stable sulfate-conjugated form. Link here. Not sure how one can get that, but if I find out I will update this post again.

8 comments:

wdwalw said...

I also have been on a quest for years to shrink my fibroids. I found out I had them 13 years ago with my first pregnancy. I am currently taking and distributing a product that has the same amount of resveratrol in one serving (1 fluid ounce) as 1 whole bottle of red wine, but without the alcohol. I've been taking it since January of this year. I'm going to check with my doctor to see how the fibroids are doing in a few months. But in the meantime I will continue taking the product that I distribute plus use other healthy alternative methods. Also I will just keep monitoring how my clothes are fitting around my midsection, hopefully looser and looser.

If you are interested in information about this great product just email me at wdwalw@comcast.net. I will be sure to contact you as soon as possible.

Fibroid Shrinker said...

Thanks much for the info. Please keep us all posted on your product is working.

Also any other readers with personal experience using reseratrol please let us know about it and how well it worked!

Anthony Loera said...

Barbara Walters interviewed Dr. Sinclair on April 1st. He mentioned you would need to drink 1000 bottles of red wine a day to get enough resveratrol.

Why not try the price watch?

http://www.resveratrolpricewatch.com

The list is compiled by the public, for the public. You can add a product as well if it is not found here.

A

Fibroid Shrinker said...

I just want to note that I approved the above comment even though when examining this page I discovered that the forum classifies it as being commercial (author sell reservatrol). However it does seem to provide helpful information, if you are thinking of going the resveratrol route. I would check with your doctor/alternative practitioner before doing this however, just my advice...

Anonymous said...

Resveratrol can help you to lead a long and healthy life so says Dr. Oz.

Resveratrol Supplements can help you control your weight naturally
by increasing energy, reducing cravings, and limiting your appetite.
According to Wikipedia, Consumer Lab, an independent dietary
supplement and over the counter products evaluation organization,
published a report on 13 November 2007 on the popular resveratrol
supplements. The organization reported that there exists a wide range
in quality, dose, and price among the 13 resveratrol products
evaluated. The actual amount of resveratrol contained in the
different brands range from 2.2mg for Revatrol, which claimed to have
400mg of "Red Wine Grape Complex", to 500mg for Biotivia.com Transmax,
which is consistent with the amount claimed on the product's label.
Prices per 100mg of resveratrol ranged from less than $.30 for
products made by Biotivia.com, jarrow, and country life, to a high of
$45.27 for the Revatrol brand. None of the products tested were found
to have significant levels of heavy metals or other contaminants.

Fibroid Shrinker said...

wow, there are a lot of people interested in resveratrol. Here is a link to the wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resveratrol. This page says "A number of beneficial health effects, such as anti-cancer, antiviral, neuroprotective, anti-aging, and anti-inflammatory effects have been reported, but all of these studies are "in-vitro" (test tube) or in yeast, worms, fruit flies, fish, mice, and rats."

Ju said...

Awesome post! Have you had a chance to watch 60 Minutes, Fox News, Oprah or Barbra Walters segments last weekend about it?

Basically, it shows promise in mice. For mice, has shown major health improvements including blood sugar control. Keep in mind that 6 out of 10 major drug successes in mice - fail in humans. But the limited human trials showed promise and there are some patients that claim it helps. However, this could be the 'placebo effect,' and only empirical data under controlled experiments can tell for sure. It will take a few years for these clinical trials to conclude.

You can get supplements of the extract right now. While it is safe, it is not guaranteed to work. Before making a decision, you should watch all the videos. Here's the a recap from all the trustworthy shows:

http://resveratrolcertifiedsupplements.com/?page_id=4

I did some research and learned the following: You can only get 1-2mgs of it in a single bottle of wine. So, white, it's a good excuse to drink wine, but you really won't get much benefit. There are resveratrol supplements on the market - but many do not have the required strength and they don't work for everyone. The only way to know for sure is to try the supplements. Hope you find this interesting... its a future hope for the fountain of youth and treatments (not cures) for countless diseases.

-Linda, the Good Nurse.

Fibroid Shrinker said...

Thanks for the further info.
For me at least, results in mice and in vitro are not that compelling. Hope that some more human research is done soon...