Grape Skin Compound Fights the Complications of Diabetes Courtesty of Leslee Dru Brouwning

(NaturalNews) Research carried out by scientists at the Peninsula
Medical School in the South West of England has found that resveratrol,
a compound present naturally in grape skin, can protect against the
cellular damage to blood vessels caused by high production of glucose
in diabetes, according to a recently published paper in the science
journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.
The elevated levels of glucose that circulate in the blood of patients with
diabetes causes micro- and macro-vascular complications by damaging
mitochondria, the tiny power plants within cells responsible for generating energy. When they are
damaged they can leak electrons and make highly damaging 'free radicals'.
Complications that can result when this happens include nephropathy (kidney disease), heart
disease and retinopathy (which if left untreated can lead to blindness).
Resveratrol stops the damage by helping cells make protective enzymes to prevent the leakage of
electrons and the production of toxic 'free radicals'.
As well as being naturally present in grape skins, resveratrol is also present in seeds, peanuts and
red wine.
Dr. Matt Whiteman, Principal Investigator and Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Biomedical and
Clinical Science, Peninsula Medical School, commented: "Resveratrol's antioxidant effects in the
test tube are well documented but our research shows the link between high levels of glucose, its
damaging effect on cell structure, and the ability of resveratrol to protect against and mend that
damage."
He added: "Resveratrol or related compounds could be used to block the damaging effects of
glucose which in turn might fight the often life threatening complications that accompany diabetes.
It could well be the basis of effective diet-based therapies for the prevention of vascular damage
caused by hyperglycemia in the future."
Resveratrol has been used for other health issues as well. For instance, individuals suffering from
influenza, also known as the flu, Resveratrol has been shown to prevent the continued reproduction
of the flu virus if taken within six hours of infection. Furthermore, resveratrol has demonstrated
anticarcinogenic activity. There is also growing evidence that resveratrol has cardioprotective
effects through a variety of mechanisms: it inhibits platelet aggregation, the proliferation of
smooth-muscle cells, and the oxidation of LDL-cholesterol.
Sources:
The Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry (2008, March 20). Grape Skin Compound Fights
The Complications Of Diabetes (http://www.pms.ac.uk/pms/) .
Resveratrol May Be a Longevity Molecule http://www.vgshealthsolutions.com