Resveratrol — more than just a red wine ingredient

In 1991, the so-called French paradox made front-page news: the French eat a lot of fat, drink wine, and yet suffer less cardiovascular disease. One hypothesis pointed to resveratrol — a polyphenol present in grape skins. Thirty years of research later, the picture is more complex — but also more interesting.

What is resveratrol?

Resveratrol is a natural compound produced by plants in response to stress — infections, UV radiation, water shortage. It is found in grapes, berries, peanuts, and Japanese knotweed. Its concentration in food, however, is too low to produce the effects observed in studies — hence the interest in supplementation.

Sirtuins — the key to its mechanism

Resveratrol activates a group of enzymes called sirtuins, especially SIRT1. Sirtuins regulate the cell's response to stress, participate in DNA repair, and influence metabolism. Their activity rises during caloric restriction — and resveratrol appears to mimic some of these effects without the need to starve oneself.

Bioavailability: the biggest challenge

Resveratrol is poorly absorbed by the digestive tract — standard capsules deliver only a fraction of the active substance to the bloodstream. The liposomal form solves this problem by protecting the molecule from breakdown and improving its transport across cellular membranes.

Combining with NMN

Resveratrol and NMN act on overlapping biological pathways and reinforce each other. NMN provides NAD+, which is fuel for sirtuins. Resveratrol activates the sirtuins. Together, they form one of the most extensively studied duos in longevity supplementation.