Pier 23

This last Sunday we went to visit the Disney museum in San Francisco at the Presidio. It was fantastic! A must for those boomers who grew up to Walt Disney's cartoons and movies. After our visit we went to lunch at Pier 23 on the Embarcadero. We had the marinated and cooked crab which they are known for and plenty of french bread for sopping up the garlic butter sauce. Wow is all I can say! Delicious!
Our friends had a shrimp/crab sandwich and crab pasta which were excellent also.

Walnut Tart

Hope everyone had a marvelous Thanksgiving and your turkey dinner came out great with no mishaps. I think after many years of trying different ways to cook a turkey I have finally found the best way for us. I follow Martha Stewart's basic recipe with the soaked in butter, wine cheesecloth over the turkey recipe. As usual I changed it a bit and used apple juice and butter with makes for a sweeter flavor. I also use apple clavados liquor for a bit of a 'kick' in the gravy. We had the usual side dishes. I did make a new dessert, a walnut tart, it came out yummy! I topped it with pumpkin ice cream.

Foods That Fight Heartburn

I thought that this might be helpful to keep in mind since we are entering the holiday season. This is the time of the year we overindulge in all sorts of foods we don't normally eat. So on the days in between parties and celebrations keep these foods in the forefront of your mind.
The following foods help to fight acid reflux.
Oatmeal (look for thick cut)
Ginger (candied ginger is great)
Aloe Vera
Salads
Banana
Melon
Fennel
Poultry
Fish and Seafood
Roots and Greens
Celery
Parsley
Couscous and Rice

 (Health.com)

Home Treatment

Home treatment, such as lifestyle changes and nonprescription medicines, may be all that is needed to treat mild to moderate heartburn. But if your symptoms do not get better with home treatment, or if your symptoms occur frequently and last longer than 2 weeks, see your doctor to find out whether other medical conditions may be causing your symptoms.
Keep a record of your heartburn symptoms before and after making lifestyle changes or using nonprescription medicines so you can discuss any improvement with your doctor.

Lifestyle changes to treat heartburn

You can make changes to your lifestyle to help relieve your symptoms of heartburn. Here are some things to try:

• Change your eating habits.
  • It’s best to eat several small meals instead of two or three large meals.
  • After you eat, wait 2 to 3 hours before you lie down. Late-night snacks aren't a good idea.
  • Chocolate, mint, and alcohol can make heartburn worse. They relax the valve between the esophagus and the stomach.
  • Spicy foods, foods that have a lot of acid (like tomatoes and oranges), and coffee can make heartburn symptoms worse in some people. If your symptoms are worse after you eat a certain food, you may want to stop eating that food to see if your symptoms get better.
• Do not smoke or chew tobacco.
• If you get heartburn at night, raise the head of your bed 6 in. (15 cm) to 8 in. (20 cm) by putting the frame on blocks or placing a foam wedge under the head of your mattress. (Adding extra pillows does not work.)
• Do not wear tight clothing around your middle. Lose weight if you need to. Losing just 5 to 10 pounds can help. 

Medicines to treat heartburn

Note:

If you are pregnant and have heartburn symptoms, be sure to talk to your doctor before you take any heartburn medicines. Some medicines may not be safe to take while you are pregnant.

Antacids

Many people take nonprescription antacids for mild or occasional heartburn. If you use antacids more than just once in a while, talk with your doctor.

• Antacids such as Tums, Mylanta, or Maalox neutralize some of the stomach acid for 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on whether the stomach is full or empty. Liquid or dissolving antacids usually work faster than tablet forms.
• Some antacids, such as Gaviscon, have a foaming agent (alginate) that acts as a barrier between stomach acid and the esophagus.
• Antacids such as Pepto-Bismol coat the esophagus and act as a barrier to reflux acid. Pepto-Bismol should not be used for more than 3 weeks and you should not take it if you can't take aspirin. It may make your tongue or stools black. The black color is usually not serious. Brushing your teeth and tongue after taking Pepto-Bismol may keep your tongue from turning black. If your child or teen gets chickenpox or flu, do not treat the symptoms with nonprescription medicines that contain bismuth subsalicylate (such as Pepto-Bismol and Kaopectate). If your child has taken this kind of medicine and he or she has changes in behavior with nausea and vomiting, call your doctor. These symptoms could be an early sign of Reye syndrome, a rare but serious illness. Ask your doctor if your child younger than 12 should take these medicines.

Antacids work faster than acid reducers (H2 blockers), but their effect does not last more than 1 to 2 hours. H2 blockers can provide relief for up to 12 hours.
Antacids do have side effects. They may cause diarrhea or constipation. Also, antacids can interfere with how your body absorbs other medicines.
If you have any health risks, talk with your doctor before you start taking an antacid. If you have kidney disease, it is especially important to discuss antacid use with your doctor. Regular use of antacids that contain magnesium or aluminum can cause a dangerous buildup of magnesium or aluminum in people who have kidney disease.

Stomach acid reducers

H2 blockers

Acid reducers, also called histamine receptor (or H2) blockers, decrease the amount of acid that the stomach makes, which may reduce irritation to the stomach lining and decrease heartburn. Some examples of nonprescription acid reducers are Pepcid AC, Tagamet HB, Zantac 75, or Axid AR. Talk with your doctor if you take an H2 blocker for more than 2 weeks.

Proton pump inhibitors

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), such as omeprazole (for example, Prilosec), reduce stomach acid and effectively treat severe heartburn symptoms. These acid-reducing medicines are used when your heartburn has not gotten better with other home treatment measures, antacids, or H2 blockers. You may need to use a PPI for up to 5 days before you have relief of your heartburn but they are safe to use for long-term management. They also are safe to use if you have kidney or liver problems. PPIs are available without a prescription.
Acid reducers can sometimes change the way other medicines work. If you are taking prescription medicines, be sure to talk with your doctor before you take a nonprescription acid reducer.

Symptoms to Watch For During Home Treatment

Use the Check Your Symptoms section to evaluate your symptoms if any of the following occur during home treatment:

• Heartburn is not relieved by home treatment and medicine.
• Blood appears in your vomit.
• Blood appears in your stools or you have black, tarry stools.
• You have symptoms of mild heartburn for more than 2 weeks.
• Swallowing problems are not improving.
• You continue to lose weight for no reason.
• Your symptoms become more severe or frequent.

Happy Thanksgiving

It is Thanksgiving again! I have my turkey ordered and my grocery list ready for shopping. I have the menu down as everyone looks forward to my special stuffing and brined turkey and fresh cranberries. My husband will be contemplating which special wines to have. I am going to have roasted vegetables this year for a change, we will see if everyone likes that instead of mashed potatoes, then what ever is leftover I will make soup out of. Can't forget the sweet potatoes with marshmallows! What is it about that dish that makes it sooo goood! I put marshmellows on my sweet potato every time I have one. With my husband's blessing, instead of pecan pie, I am going to try a walnut bar cookie with pumpkin ice cream for dessert. Still thinking about a second dessert...
We will look at past photos, that is always fun to reminisce and play a fun game called LRC.
Of course we give thanks for our family and friends that surround us. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Strontium and Your Bones

 This is very promising for those of us who cannot take the harsher drugs for osteoporosis. My Naturopathic Doctor has me on the Strontium Citrate, so we will see if it helps. It is all natural with no side effects.

(Berkeley Wellness)

There’s plenty of scientific interest in strontium as a possible treatment for osteoporosis. Available as a prescription drug in Europe, strontium is sold only as a dietary supplement in the U.S. Is it ready for prime time?

Strontium is a chemical element, discovered in the 1700s near the Scottish village of Strontian. Most people who’ve heard the name associate it with strontium-90, a radioactive product of nuclear fission and a component of fallout. It caused a lot anxiety in the years when nuclear weapons were regularly tested. This radioactive particle can actually destroy bone. But strontium itself is not radioactive or toxic in any way. It is indeed reactive—that is, it easily combines with oxygen, and is widely used in fireworks. It occurs naturally in small amounts in soil, drinking water, and food. It is not classified as a nutrient, but the human body can absorb it and use it as if it were calcium.

Europe has been in the forefront of strontium research. Large-scale clinical trials conducted in Belgium and France have shown that strontium ranelate can delay bone breakdown and promote bone growth; it also reduces hip and vertebral fractures in older women. It may be even more effective for the very elderly.

Some researchers have concluded that strontium ranelate should be a first-line treatment for postmenopausal osteoporosis. In 2009, the Cochrane Collaboration, which independently evaluates medical research, reviewed four studies of strontium ranelate and concluded that it did increase bone mineral density. But there were worries about side effects, such as diarrhea and possibly blood clots or seizures. Not enough is known about long-term safety.

Though no prescription form of strontium is available in the U.S., you can buy strontium as a dietary supplement—usually strontium citrate. But supplements are virtually unregulated, so you don’t know what’s in them, or how much you might need. And supplements do not contain the same formulation as the prescription drug used in other countries. Some people think strontium supplements ought to be combined with calcium, but there’s no evidence this would work better. Researchers at the University of California, Davis, are now studying strontium citrate supplements, comparing them with calcium and vitamin D.

We think the picture looks promising for strontium as a prescription treatment for osteoporosis and perhaps as a supplement—though it will take more research to know for sure. For now, if you have osteoporosis, continue to follow standard advice, which includes taking calcium and vitamin D, along with any drug your doctor may have prescribed, and getting regular weight-bearing exercise.

Rigatoni with Vegetable Bolognese

 This  was delicious!! I actually followed the recipe pretty closely.

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis 

Ingredients

• 1-ounce dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 1/2 cups hot water
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves (I used herbs of provence)
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 5 ounces assorted mushrooms (like shiitake, cremini, and brown), stemmed and chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
• 1 pound rigatoni pasta ( I used a  mushroom stuffed ravioli)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan
• 
  
• 
  

Directions

Place the dried mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with 1 1/2 cups very hot water. Set aside and let the mushrooms soften.
Place the carrots, onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse the vegetables until finely chopped but still chunky. Place the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped vegetables, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper and cook until tender, about 6 minutes. Strain the porcini mushrooms, reserving the porcini mushroom liquid. Add the porcini mushrooms, fresh mushrooms, and tomato paste and continue cooking, stirring to dissolve the tomato paste, until the mushrooms are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the porcini mushroom liquid and red wine. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and let the mixture simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add mascarpone cheese and stir just until the cheese is incorporated.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and add to the vegetable mixture. Add some of the reserved pasta cooking liquid, if necessary, to moisten the sauce. Toss with Parmesan and serve.

Cinnamon Tidbits

Cinnamon: Ten Fun Facts

The fragrant spice has been used for far more than baking over the years (think embalming).

By Chloe Thompson
WebMD the Magazine - Feature

Reviewed by Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD

 

Cinnamon comes from:Cinnamon sticks, also called "quills," are the dried bark of an evergreen tree.
Types of cinnamon:There are two main types of cinnamon: Cassia (Chinese) and Ceylon, the sweeter variety.

World's largest producer of cinnamon:Sri Lanka.

Strangest use of cinnamon:Cinnamon was used as an embalming agent in ancient Egypt.
Saddest use of cinnamon:To show his remorse for killing his wife, Roman Emperor Nero ordered that a year's supply of cinnamon be burned at her funeral.
The price of cinnamon:In Roman times, cinnamon was very valuable, perhaps up to more than 15 times more costly than silver.
Cinnamon wars:The high demand for cinnamon started a war in the 17th century between the Dutch and the Portuguese over the island of Ceylon -- where much of the pungent spice is grown.
Nutritional benefits of cinnamon:One teaspoon of ground cinnamon contains 1.4 grams of fiber. The spice is also a good source of calcium and iron.
More nutritional benefits of cinnamon:According to preliminary research, up to a teaspoon of cinnamon with food can reduce blood sugar levels.
Cinnamon bug spray:Cinnamon and other strong-smelling spices have been used to repel ants.

Vaccines Tidbit

Interesting bit of information from Berkeley Wellness newsletter.

"About one in four parents still believe that some vaccines can cause autism in children, a recent survey in the journal Pediatrics found. In addition, one in nine said they had refused at least one recommended vaccine for their children. There is no scientific support for the notion that vaccines cause autism. In fact, the British journal 'The Lancet' recently retracted the controversial 1998  study that first set off widespread fears about a vaccine /autism link because the study was seriously flawed and made false claims. Moreover, it was later discovered that the lead author had been paid by a lawyer suing vaccine makers!"

Always check with your doctor.

Woodstoves and Fireplaces

 (Berkeley Wellness)
As the weather gets chilly, many people cozy up to woodstoves. But woodstoves, as well as fireplaces, are a source of both indoor and outdoor air pollution.
Pollutants released by burning wood—including carbon monoxide and nitrogen di­oxide, as well as fine particles—can cause nose and throat irritation, trigger or worsen respiratory conditions (such as asthma), and contribute to heart disease. Cigarette smokers exposed to wood smoke face a higher risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a new study in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Wood smoke also modestly increases the risk of lung cancer, a recent study in Environmental Health Perspectives concluded.
Woodstoves today are safer, more efficient, and less polluting than they used to be. Since 1990 the EPA has required all new woodstoves to use “clean-burn” technology. If your woodstove is old, you should upgrade to an EPA-certified one, which releases far less smoke than old models—2 to 5 grams of particulates an hour, versus 40 to 60 grams. And because they burn cleaner, EPA-certified woodstoves save wood. Pellet-burning woodstoves are also less polluting than log-burning ones, according to the EPA, even if not certified, as are vented natural gas stoves.
If you use a woodstove or fireplace, follow these guidelines for cleaner air:
• Make sure your woodstove is properly installed and vented. You should not smell smoke or see much smoke from the chimney. Woodstoves, fireplaces, and chimneys should be inspected and cleaned regularly.
• Use seasoned wood—wood that has been dried and stored outside for at least six months. It should sound hollow when you hit it against another piece of wood. Stack wood outside, off the ground and covered. Don’t use wet, moldy, or rotting wood. Buy wood, if you can, from companies that replant trees or follow other sustainable forestry practices.
• Don’t burn treated or pressed wood, plywood, or driftwood in a woodstove. Don’t burn garbage, cardboard, plastics, or anything with colored ink, paint, or glue on it. These can all produce toxic fumes.
• Build small, hot fires—not large, smoky ones. Start with dry kindling or clean newspaper. As the fire burns down, rake embers into a mound and add new wood, several pieces at a time. Keep the stove door closed at all other times.
• If you use a fireplace, consider installing an EPA-certified fireplace insert, which will make it as efficient as a woodstove (otherwise, an open fireplace is a net energy loser). It may be expensive, but it reduces fuel use and pollution.
• A well-insulated home loses less heat and thus requires less wood for burning, so if possible, upgrade your insulation, replace old windows, weather-strip, and use storm windows. Consider keeping the thermostat lower also.

Good information to know about fireplaces... we love our gas fireplace, it is clean and easy and gives us plenty of heat.
The other consideration if you have a woodburning fireplace is that it needs to be cleaned and inspected yearly for buildup in the chimney. We experienced a chimney fire, which is very scary and very dangerous!

Pumpkin Cookies

Great Pumpkin Cookies

Prep: 30 mins

Kids will love these yummy and fun cookies! The cookies not only include pumpkin, they have oats and can be decorated with all sorts of goodies like chocolate chips, icing, and candies or enjoy them plain.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 3/4 cup raisins or other dried fruits
• Decorating icings, NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels, candies, raisins and/or nuts (optional)

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease baking sheets.

COMBINE flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl. Beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla extract; mix well. Add flour mixture; mix well. Stir in nuts and raisins. Drop ¼ cup dough onto prepared baking sheet; spread into 3-inch circle or oval. Repeat with remaining dough. ( I used a muffin top pan and it worked great!)

BAKE for 14 to 16 minutes or until cookies are firm and lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Decorate with icings, morsels, candies, raisins and/or nuts.

Nutritional Information

• Serving Size
  1/20 of recipe
• Calories 280
• Calories from Fat 112

Calcium in Question

There has been some discussion about some risks of taking calcium supplements, thought this might be of interest.
(Dr. Weil)
The findings you're referring to came from an analysis of 11 earlier trials that looked at people who had been randomly assigned to take calcium supplements. This "meta-analysis" published online in July, 2010, concluded that taking supplemental calcium increased the likelihood of heart attack among people over 40. The researchers, from the University of Auckland in New Zealand, chose the studies to include and then performed the review. Their results suggested that the supplements appeared to have only a minor beneficial effect on bone health and that on the basis of these findings they now advise their own patients to avoid them and instead place more emphasis on calcium-rich foods in their daily diets. They speculated that supplements might increase blood levels of calcium above normal, causing changes in blood chemistry that could be dangerous to individuals at risk for heart attacks

Interestingly, the researchers saw no increase in stroke or death from heart disease in the meta-analysis, and in none of the studies analyzed did participants take vitamin D as well as calcium. Vitamin D is essential to calcium absorption and deficiencies are widespread.
Because they combine data from studies that were originally designed to look at something else, meta-analysis can only ask questions, not answer them. My feeling is that, if anything, this analysis may warrant looking more closely at vitamin D deficiency, not just calcium supplements. In news reports of this investigation, I was interested to see that some cardiologists were puzzled as to why an increased risk of heart attacks (20 to 30 percent) showed up but no increased risk of stroke and no increase in deaths from heart disease. In fact, John Cleland, M.D.,  a cardiologist in England, wrote an editorial accompanying the meta-analysis that said, in part, "It is not clear whether they (calcium supplements) really increase the risk of heart attacks or strokes."
Alarming as these findings appear to be, I wouldn't worry about them or stop taking calcium supplements because of them. I still recommend that women supplement with no more than 500 to 700 mg of calcium citrate in two divided doses taken with meals for a total of 1,000-1,200 mg from all sources (including diet). I also recommend that everyone take a daily supplement of 2,000 IU of vitamin D, a micronutrient essential to bone mineralization, which may prevent or slow the progression of osteoporosis. Vitamin D also helps to strengthen the immune system and reduces risk of fractures. What's more, research indicates that vitamin D may provide protection against hypertension, psoriasis, several autoimmune diseases (including multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis), and many forms of cancer. And new findings suggest that it also reduces the risk of heart disease.
Andrew Weil, M.D.

Honey for Coughs

(Mayo Clinic)

Honey: An effective cough remedy?

Is it true that honey calms coughs better than cough medicine does?

Answer

from James M. Steckelberg, M.D.

Drinking tea or warm lemon water mixed with honey is a time-honored way to soothe a sore throat. But honey may be an effective cough suppressant, too. In one study, children age 2 and older with upper respiratory tract infections were given up to 2 teaspoons (10 milliliters) of honey at bedtime. The honey seemed to reduce nighttime coughing and improve sleep. In fact, in the study, honey appeared to be as effective as the cough suppressant dextromethorphan in typical over-the-counter doses. Since honey is low-cost and widely available, it might be worth a try.
However, due to the risk of infant botulism, a rare but serious form of food poisoning, never give honey to a child younger than age 1. And remember: Coughing isn't all bad. It helps clear mucus from your airway. If you or your child is otherwise healthy, there's usually no reason to suppress a cough.

Sweet Potatoes

I love sweet potatoes plain nothing added, but I confess that I do like them even better with a couple of melted marshmallows on top! I thought that this information might spur us on to eat them more often since they are so good for  you.

 (Berkeley Wellness)
With Thanksgiving coming up, you may wonder what the difference is between a sweet potato and a yam. Is one more nutritious?
What are commonly called yams are actually sweet potatoes, which are not really potatoes at all, but storage roots, like carrots. (Real potatoes are storage stems, or tubers.) True yams belong to another plant family. You will seldom see a true yam in this country, except in specialty markets. Called njam and grown in Africa and the Caribbean, a yam is pale and starchy, with rough and scaly skin.

Sweet potatoes have darker reddish-brown skin and dark orange flesh. There are, however, at least four varieties, some with lighter skins, some with red-purple skins, and also variations in flesh color. (Canned sweet potatoes are often also labeled “yams,” since that’s what most people call them.)

Nutritionally, you’re way ahead with sweet potatoes. Their bright orange color comes from beta carotene, and a medium-size baked sweet potato contains about 10 milligrams (a hefty amount), plus about 
one-third of the daily recommended intake for vitamin C, some B vitamins, vitamin E, magnesium, and calcium—even more if you eat the skin. The true yam has no beta carotene and half the vitamin C.

In spite of their sweet flavor, sweet potatoes have the same number of calories as white potatoes, about 100 per 3.5-ounce serving. They can be quickly cooked in their skins in a microwave (pierce them first). They taste great on their own--though they often, unfortunately, get “candied”—laden with sugar, syrup, and marshmallows.

Vegetarian Recipes

For those who are looking for vegetarian recipes here is a link to a website "myrecipes" that I subscribe too for all types of wonderful recipes. It includes Cooking Light, Southern Living, Health, Sunset, and Real Simple magazines.

http://www.myrecipes.com/vegetarian-recipes/

It sure helps me be creative and try new things.

Resveratrol

 (Berkekey Wellness)
Many eminent scientists are interested in resveratrol, and some findings have been tantalizing. But is it really the “Holy Grail of aging research,” as a Harvard researcher described it?
Resveratrol is one of many naturally occurring plant chemicals called polyphenols. It is found in grapes, peanuts, mulberries, and blueberries, among other edible (and nonedible) plants. Red wine is rich in it; white wine has some, too. Many reports have called resveratrol the ingredient in wine that appears to protect drinkers from cardiovascular disease.
First isolated in 1940, resveratrol has been a subject of scientific study ever since. And, indeed, under a microscope, it appears to do nearly everything—for good or bad.
For example:
• In studies of yeasts and other small organisms, high doses of resveratrol have lengthened lifespan. Mice, too, live longer when given resveratrol. These findings gave rise to the anti-aging claims of supplement marketers.
• Resveratol sometimes behaves like a plant estrogen. As such, it may activate genes controlled by estrogen. This raises the possibility that it might promote certain cancers.
• On the other hand, resveratrol sometimes behaves like, an anti-estrogen, and this raises the possibility that it might help suppress those same cancers.
• Resveratrol is an antioxidant. Some researchers have proposed that it thus may help protect against cardiovascular disease, but this is far from proven.
• On the other hand, good studies have found that resveratrol, under some circumstances, can act like a pro-oxidant and can thus damage cells. It has been theorized that this property might be useful for treating cancer.
• Resveratrol can have anti-inflammatory and anti-prostaglandin effects. (Prostaglandins are chemicals involved in many bodily processes, including pain.) That is, resveratrol has something in common with aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
• Lab studies suggest that resveratrol has neuroprotective properties. If these could somehow be harnessed, they might help prevent some of the degenerative diseases of aging.
Resveratrol is being tested at many research institutions as a treatment for such disorders as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as for preventing cancer. One hope, apart from its possible preventive or life-extending uses, is that resveratrol will prove useful for treating heart disease and cancer.
Promising—but not yet ready for prime time
If you are considering taking resveratrol, keep in mind that there have been no good human studies. It appears to be safe, but its long-term effects are an open question. Any substance that seems to do almost everything and can play opposite chemical roles deserves careful study. Even if it proves beneficial, no one knows what an optimal dose is. Perhaps one day drug companies will be selling resveratrol, with some evidence of safety and effectiveness via human studies. But in the meantime, as a dietary supplement, resveratrol can continue to make many vague health claims with no proof.
Until more is known, get your resveratrol from your diet: grape juice, grapes, blueberries, peanuts. If you enjoy a glass of wine, that’s fine. It’s known that the alcohol has heart benefits; perhaps the resveratrol provides benefits, too.