PITTSBURGH STEELERS neurosurgeon Dr. Joseph Maroon, author of The Longevity Factor, discusses living a longer and healthier life. It’s not about simply living to an older age, it is about fighting the diseases of aging and keeping our bodies younger.

Don’t we all want to have great quality of life?  Live healthy and even longer if we can feel good and stay active?

Scientists have been studying many years a group of natural substances – including resveratrol – that can help activate specific genes in the human body that promote living longer and healthier.

Dr. Maroon wrote The Longevity Factor to look at the fascinating science behind the study of aging – that can have a real impact on our lives.   It has taken years of study to learn about a group of natural substances – including resveratrol – that can help activate specific genes in the human body that promote living longer AND healthier.   And then it took more time to learn how to isolate resveratrol and concentrate it into a supplement.

As soon as that happened, almost 200 products flooded the market.  Since food supplements are not regulated by the FDA, it is hard to determine which work better or if they are formulated in a way that will make a difference at all.

We have talked before how you must do your own homework on choosing a brand.  Dr. Maroon will only recommend pharmaceutical grade supplements to his patients because he can be assured of the quality and efficacy.

Shaklee partnered with Harvard University scientists to develop Vivix, a unique anti-aging supplement with resveratrol and polyphenols from the (super) muscadine grape.  It wasn’t one of the first resveratrol products on the market – it took significant time get it right!

Only pharmaceutical grade brands are mentioned in his book and Dr. Maroon dedicates most of page 193 to Vivix: “There is growing evidence that a combination of resveratrol and other potent polyphenols might provide improved health benefits due to the synergistic properties of different polyphenols from different plant sources. Shaklee Corporation, a direct selling nutrition company has recently released a product called Vivix, which is described as a cellular anti-aging tonic. It contains a multi-source polyphenol blend.

In conversations with the company, they state that the blend includes 100 mg of 98 percent pure resveratrol from Polygonum cuspidatum long with a proprietary extract derived from the fresh pomace of muscadine grapes (Vitis rotundifolia) The company recommends 5ml per day of Vivix, which they state is equivalent to the abount of resveratrol found in 100 glasses of red pinot noir red wine.

The muscadine polyphenols in this blended product along with the added resveratrol, European elderberry extract, and purple carrot extract will increase the total overall polyphenol content of this product. A month’s supply will cost a member $85.00.

In Shaklee’s accompanying literature for Vivix, they state that the Vivix ingredients were shown in a laboratory study to be 10 times more powerful in slowing a key mechanism of aging than resveratrol alone.  No specific studies are listed but here they appear to be recognizing that resveratrol may work better in people as a mixture of complementary polyphenols.  They also have focused on leveraging the benefits of the muscadine grape in their product.”

Dr. Maroon also discusses calorie restriction that is associated with resveratrol and inflammation that is at the root of so many illnesses and disease.  He states in the book that some resveratrol products contain polyphenols from the muscadine grape to further enhance resveratrol to help with inflammation (VIVIX!).

I was especially impressed that Dr. Maroon recommends the combination of pharmaceutical grade fish oil and resveratrol almost exclusively to his patients with pain and inflammation. That is right in line with what Dr. Shaklee believed:  the body can heal itself – with nature.  Natural supplements, made as close as the way you would find them in nature as possible are powerful for healing.

On page 292, Shaklee OmegaGuard is listed as a pharmaceutical grade Fish Oil supplement worthy of recommendation.

Dr. David Maroon is a distinguished surgeon, and noted professor and Heindl Scholar in Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.  He is a lifelong athlete and has competed in more than fifty triathlons including 3 Hawaiian Ironman Championship competitions.

This past month I did a little test on a product called VIVIX, a liquid resveratrol product that I have been taking daily for almost two years now.  I stopped taking Vivix for about three weeks.

Resveratrol is made from red wine and its purpose is to help you live longer by making your cells healthier to fight the diseases of aging. Right now it is available in a natural supplement form, though there is aggressive research being done to make a pharmaceutical resveratrol form.

The serving size of Vivix (the brand I use) is only 1 teaspoon per day and it is equal to the resveratrol in 100 glasses of red wine. That’s because Shaklee combines resveratrol with polyphenols from the ’super’ muscadine grape and the combination is 10 times more powerful than resveratrol alone.

Update: November, 2011. More proof about the value of resveratrol. Learn why this doctor is going to start taking a resveratrol supplement right away.  (See special offer of FREE VIVIX at the bottom of this article.)

Resveratrol, metabolism and your cells.

I don’t know about you but for me there are things that happen in terms of the way you feel or something hurting that you tend to ‘put up with’ instead of addressing right away. These are things that affect your quality of life.

Three things that I re-discovered last week when I started taking Vivix again were the same 3 things that I liked about it when I first started using it. Now I have a new appreciation for these things that I don’t have to live without. We don’t have to ‘put up’ with anything less than feeling great everyday!

Alert

Almost 2 years ago this summer I was taking my youngest daughter to visit colleges. Most were 2 – 3 hours driving distance away and something that has affected my driving for almost as long as I can remember, and especially in the summer (not sure if it is the heat or what because we are inside an air conditioned vehicle), is that I want to take a nap. As soon as we get on the road, I feel tired.

What was different during those trips is that I wasn’t tired. Not at all. They were long drives to the destination, a presentation to sit through and then a tour of the school. We usually had a bite to eat and then back on the road. Once we visited two schools in one day. It hit me about half way through the trips that I was not tired at all driving, or during any of the events. I was alert and focused throughout the day. This was the same when I was home. Every day there is this alertness and ability to focus better that comes along with taking Vivix.

Energy

I won’t call the energy I get from Vivix a burst of energy. And I do take my Cinch Protein Shake every morning that contributes to the balanced energy I get all the way till lunch. Together, they give me a constant feeling of energy to go from morning till night and not feel tired.

I felt this within a week of starting Vivix. Now, for almost two years, I have grown accustomed to feeling good. Feeling alert, focused and having enough energy to last all day long. So why would I need to ‘test’ this. For starters I sold my whole supply of Vivix before I realized I was at the end of my own bottle (not sure how I let that happen). It was going to be close to a week until my new supply would come and by that time I thought why not conduct this personal little test and stop my Vivix for a month – see if I noticed any difference. Well, I only lasted 3 weeks.

Sleep

Sleep is one of the reasons I wanted to start taking resveratrol again. Sleeping better and feeling very rested when I woke up is another benefit I discovered within a couple of weeks after taking Vivix when it was first introduced on 8-8-08.  And it is something that I have come to expect.

This month, during my test, I could tell a difference. I have always been a good sleeper but I can’t say that I always felt rested when I woke up. This month not only did I have a few nights that I didn’t sleep well, which may have been unrelated, I didn’t feel as rested. I like that feeling of waking up, feeling good, and ready for a full day!

Conclusion

I don’t think that I will be doing more Vivix testing anytime soon, at least not in regard to pulling it out of my food supplement regimen. I believe in it too much and I am getting such great results. Why would I want to mess with that?

And the three I mentioned may not be the main benefits associated with resveratrol. It does a lot on the inside that we don’t see and won’t feel either. It is working at the cellular level to fight the diseases of aging while also giving us better quality of life. Still, these benefits that I have noticed are benefits lots of people notice and it is good to ‘feel’ some of the benefits.

Another thing that will appeal to lots of us is looking younger than our age. When resveratrol is hard at work keeping us younger, it is helping us look better. It is not a miracle worker, or surgery, but if you take it faithfully (EVERY DAY) I really believe that people are going to notice something different about you!

So what are you waiting for? Do you want to feel younger? Do you want to live longer? (with a great quality of life of course!) I know that I do!

FREE VIVIX*

*Shaklee is offering it’s biggest incentive ever!  Tell all your friends about this one:  Until December 31, 2011, order a new Shaklee Membership (saves 15% off retail prices of all products) with a $100 product order and get a 30-day supply bottle of VIVIX – FREE.  That’s a $100 retail value, or $85 member price value.

**When you order a VITALIZER (the only natural nutrition program with 80+ nutrients and 4 different delivery systems so that each tablet gets to the right part of the body at just the right time in order to be released and absorbed for maximum health benefits) with your order, your membership is also FREE (save the $19.95 membership fee) and you can continue to receive 15% off all products.

Want a suggestion on how to get the free Vivix AND the free membership?  Try 30 days of nutrition that are guaranteed to make you feel better – or get your money back:

When you buy a Vitalizer and a can of Cinch Shakes, your order will total $100 and you will get the Vivix and the Free membership (all Vitalizer orders get a free membership).

Vitalizer + Cinch Shakes = your $100 order  -  that gives you VIVIX Free (and a Free membership)!  Cinch Shakes make a great breakfast and energetic way to start your day!  When you balance your blood sugar levels from the start of your day, you have more energy all day long!  Together, Vitalizer, Cinch & Vivix will make you a new person!

All Shaklee products are 100% guaranteed!

Are you searching for a way to live longer, feel younger, and have better quality of life as you grow older? We are now familiar with what has been termed the French Paradox, that refers to the low rate of heart disease given the dietary lifestyle in that part of the world. Eating more cheese, butter, eggs, and other fatty foods that would normally be associated with increased heart disease does not hold true there. Is the difference related to the amount of wine that is consumed?

In America we eat the same fatty foods and possibly worse. Most of us don’t drink wine with every meal, and we have a high rate of heart disease. We also have some new choices that may help. Scientists have discovered that the active ingredient in wine that is good for you, has all kinds of benefits, prolongs life, helps diabetes, and lowers cholesterol, is a substance called resveratrol.

American antiaging research found that this resveratrol molecule affects proteins in the body that have to do with longevity, and a way to isolate it in natural supplement form. There is also ongoing research for a resveratrol medication but that is still years away.

Scientists have been studying the aging process, and how to impact it, for many years. Billions of dollars are spent to try and bring the Fountain of Youth to all of us. We want to slow down the aging process, and have better quality of life while we live longer. It’s not enough to simply grow older, we want to feel great and enjoy those years!

Resveratrol and polyphenols from the grapes that make our wine have been found to benefit our cells in a positive way. In fact, all four key mechanisms of cellular aging can be impacted: protect and repair cellular DNA, positively impact genetic regulators, promote mitochondrial biogenesis, and slow AGE protein formation. Most of us do not understand those scientific terms, but just understand that this all happens at the cellular level. Our cells are what determines our health. If they get sick, we are sick.

Heart health, brain health, cardiovascular health, joint health, and immune health are all supported by this seemingly wonder supplement called resveratrol.

Scientists have learned through the study of animals, specifically certain cold water fish, that they do not age as other creatures do. Something in their genes controls the pace of aging, and researchers believe that humans have it as well. What is exciting about resveratrol research is that we seem to have found a trigger in the human body that can help prevent aging.

It is the sirtuin 2 gene that appears to be the master regulatory for human aging. It was discovered in the laboratory, with yeast, that when calories were restricted, the sirtuin 2 gene was switched on and extended life. This gene is present in animals and humans as well. Scientists believe that it is responsible for the health benefits of calorie restriction.

Researchers have been focused on a way to create the effect in humans without an actual calorie restriction diet. That’s because most people can not stay on a diet that cuts 30 to 35% of calories on a daily basis. We are just too hungry. However, if we can trick the body into thinking it is on a calorie restricted diet, in order to get the anti-aging benefits, it may provide the longevity benefits that have been studied so long.

A longer life that is filled with vitality, good health, and the opportunity to stay active as we age, is something desirable for the majority of us. Resveratrol and polyphenols have some amazing attributes: can keep our cells from aging, may prevent neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimers and Parkinson’s, kills cancer cells, protects against and helps symptoms of arthritis and AIDS, suppresses inflammation, has antibacterial and antiviral effects, promotes vitality and prolongs life.

When science tells us that we can reduce life-shortening diseases like cancer, Diabetes, and Alzheimers, it is very exciting. The ability to put enough active ingredient into a natural supplement that has no sided effects – only side benefits – is truly breakthrough in the health and wellness industry. We don’t have to wait for a medication because we have potent resveratrol supplements available now.

The challenge is that all resveratrol products are not created equal. It is important that the formulation be pure, or it can produce unwanted digestive side effects. It is important that the correct amount be included in a daily serving dose so that results can be realized. It is important that the ingredients be of high quality or you may not get the full benefit. The company behind the resveratrol should do its own research and science on the products so that the formulation they produce is safe and able to be absorbed by the body.

Science gives us the answers. It is up to us to take action and be in control of our own good health and successful in our quest for longevity.

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To learn more about the #1 Natural Nutrition Company resveratrol + polyphenols, watch the video and access information on our American AntiAging Resveratrol site.

The benefits of grape seed extract are associated with the diseases of aging the same as a substance called resveratrol, and they appear to be very plentiful. Resveratrol is found in the skins of red grapes. Recent research has exploded with the potential of resveratrol impacting your aging process in dramatic ways. While doing my own research about how resveratrol is extracted from the skin of grapes, I located the following from Wikipedia.

“Resveratrol (trans-resveratrol) is a phytoalexin produced naturally by several plants when under attack by pathogens such as bacteria or fungi. Resveratrol has also been produced by chemical synthesis[1] and is sold as a nutritional supplement derived primarily from Japanese knotweed. In mouse and rat experiments, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, blood-sugar-lowering and other beneficial cardiovascular effects of resveratrol have been reported…”

The benefits of grape seed extract are associated with the aging process and preventing disease. Research tells us that resveratrol can go even further by impacting all four key ways that our bodies age and get diseased. DNA, genetics, cell damage and AGE proteins can all be positively affected by resveratrol.

DNA can be protected and repaired. Genetic regulators that help fight aging in our cells can be turned on to work better. A process called mitochondrial biogenesis, that helps increase our cells’ power production, can be enhanced. Another way our cells age is by accumulating Advanced Glycation End Products, or AGE proteins. You may relate to them building up in your cells by thinking of how plaque builds up on your teeth or in your arteries. When they build up inside your cells, they interfere with the healthy function of the cell and the life of the cell. Reducing the formation of these AGE proteins is a benefit of a quality resveratrol product.

Heart health, brain health, improved cardiovascular system, better functioning immune system, and joint health are all targeted as benefits of grape seed extract and resveratrol. Promoting healthy cell life and increased energy in the cell are part of the exciting link between anti-aging and resveratrol. Scientists have been studying free radicals and the aging process for many years. The breakthrough discovery of resveratrol from the skin of red grapes promotes new a way to fight free radicals and help deliver better health and overall well being.

Extraction is the next challenge because the resulting product after extraction can vary tremendously from brand to brand. The process, the materials used during extraction, and the efficiency of the process all combine to result in very different quality products. This is another area of homework the consumer must do to insure you get an effective product that will give you the results you desire.

It is important to look at the specific amount of active ingredient per serving, whether you are considering the benefits of grape seed extract or a resveratrol supplement. This is another area that varies greatly brand to brand. There are different thoughts about just how much is enough.  My feeling on this is that if you choose a reputable brand, with a pharmaceutical grade supplement, it will have the amount that science and research has found beneficial.

Purity is a consideration worth discussion. It is reported that the majority of resveratrol sources available today are not pure enough. This can result in tolerance problems, with digestive issues. Folks do not want to be presented with a side effect as they target anti-aging solutions. Pure and natural resveratrol is available, without side effects, but you must secure a source that can veryify it is pure.

Another ingredient that is associated with resveratrol, and that takes the benefits of grape seed extract to a new level, is vitis rotundifolio, or a super grape with an extra chromosome not found in other grapes. The addition of the super grape helps us fight aging at the cellular level, inside our cells, where the whole process of aging is controlled.

To learn more, opt in for our free anti-aging report, or visit our pure and natural resveratrol website.

There has been an increase of searches for resveratrol scam since the highly advertised ingredient was found to be a potent anti-aging nutrition supplement. The reason for the questions is that so many companies have put a resveratrol product on the market after scientific research was announced through national media sources. I don’t know about you but I prefer a resveratrol product with a satisfaction guarantee over one with a scam potential attached to it.

The problem with almost two hundred resveratrol products for sale is that many of them are not potent enough to provide significant results, and that is creating concern about the efficacy of resveratrol in the fight against aging. This is not an issue with resveratrol, but with the difference in potency, quality, and formulation since they all combine to make a worthy product.

Resveratrol is currently in research for drug development, possible in pill form. While that is years out, we do have resveratrol available in supplement form. When I did my own personal research of other brands, I was shocked to find that many of them have very little resveratrol in the products. The clinical research that has suggested measurable anti-aging benefits with resveratrol is based upon a much higher dose than what many products on the market contain. The bottom line is that people are going to be disappointed when they don’t get the results they expect, and this puts a black cloud over the industry.

Natural nutrition supplements, including vitamins and herbs, are not regulated by any governing body. This means that you have to do your homework and find a brand that you trust will put the amount of ingredient that has been studied to help build health inside the product. It is also important to insure that the amounts that are listed on the label are actually inside the product so that they will perform as they are intended (remember that nobody is in place to oversee this on our behalf). Last, the ingredients need to be high quality and in a formula that your body will absorb.

When I evaluate a nutrition brand, several requirements are present: science, safety, quality, and efficacy. Does the company have a reputable, in-house science team that conducts research and clinical testing on their own products, and not simply make a product that is either new or popular? Are high quality ingredients demanded by the brand and do they require ongoing testing of those ingredients for quality assurance? Do the products have a track record of performance and integrity?

Resveratrol scam is a legitimate search because when it comes to nutrition that we are putting in to the body, we must demand quality and that includes potency and performance. Value is another consideration. If one is to compare a product with a price tag of $2.83 per serving of the recommended amount of resveratrol that can fight aging, with another product that may cost $.99 per serving but you need 10 servings to get that same potent amount, well there really is not a comparison.

Science and research has brought us revolutionary new ways to fight aging, and to get the desired results we need specific amounts. I encourage everyone who would like to use resveratrol to help live a longer, healthier life to take the time and do their own research for a brand that will deliver the intended benefits, not a resveratrol scam.

The health benefits of resveratrol have only just begun to be discovered. It has been called the Fountain of Youth. It has been called the key to longevity. I have heard the terms healthy old age, beat the clock, rejuvenation drug, quest to put death on hold – all exciting in terms of living longer and being healthier. Resveratrol is found in high concentrations in the skin of grapes. It has been studied for years and a pharmaceutical drug is currently in development. Right now, we have natural supplements available with resveratrol.

So what health benefits can we expect from resveratrol? First, when we look at aging, we know that as the body ages we can develop diseases of aging like arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimers. There is a longevity gene in our body that can effectively fight aging, and specifically these diseases of aging. Scientists have known about it for years. The problem is that it is only turned on during extreme dieting, or calorie restriction. Most people can not maintain that kind of daily diet because it involves cutting calories 30 to 35% and is very hard to do without being hungry all of the time. When we eat a lot of food, and many of us eat more food than our body needs each day, this gene is turned off.

What resveratrol can do, in the right amounts, is to trick the body into thinking it is on a calorie restriction diet so that the longevity gene can be turned on. In this way, the body can maintain healthy blood levels and healthy cells that fight the diseases of aging. Another scientific discovery that can partner with resveratrol in the fight against aging are polyphenols, powerful phytochemicals found in fruits and vegetables.

There are four mechanisms of aging in our bodies. First, DNA damage occurs daily when the cells in your body are attacked and not able to function optimally. Next, we have genetic regulators that help build and repair cells. Third is the declining energy in our cells that occurs when free radicals damage cells. Last, there are AGE proteins that are formed when our cells are not functioning properly, and can cause cell death.

Current science has brought us natural supplements that include both resveratrol and polyphenols that can impact all four mechanisms of aging. It is up to the anti-aging consumer to do his or her homework and find a brand with the significant amount of resveratrol that is needed to turn on the longevity gene that prolongs life and vitality, and has the polyphenols to fight aging.

What are some healthy considerations you should know about resveratrol and polyphenols? Some resveratrol-only supplements have Emodin (a chemical laxative) that can be hard to tolerate in the digestive system. Others have very small amounts of resveratrol so that many doses would be needed daily to get the kind of effect that science has shown to work. The highest concentration of polyphenols can be found in the muscadine (super) grape which contains an extra chromosome (that no other grape has) and ellagic acid (also not found in ordinary grapes) that is associated with anti-aging.

There are challenges in the preparations of supplements like resveratrol and polyphenols. It is a fact that not all companies that produce one or the other have the science or the research to develop extraction methods that can preserve the full potency, complex formulations that get absorbed, and high quality ingredients that can provide results you can measure.

To learn more about what the health benefits of resveratrol are, visit the world’s only cellular anti-aging tonic of resveratrol and polyphenols.

The CBS 60 Minutes show aired a special about anti-aging resveratrol back in January, 2009. This evening they updated the story. The laboratory research that began with mice and monkeys have moved to humans. First, there was a pre-diabetic group participating in resveratrol studies, and results were very positive. Right now there is a group of people with cancer that are participating in clinical trials.

As the doctors who lead resveratrol research discussed, the goal is for humans to live longer, healthier lives. While we might not be able to turn the clock back 30 years, scientists have found a way to slow down aging. There is a gene in all human bodies that is not an active gene. By finding a way to turn on the gene, it enables the body to fight aging including diseases like diabetes, arthritis, cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimers.

The scientists discussed the studies with the monkeys in the lab. Even the ‘fat’ monkeys – those that were not on calorie restricted diets – who were given resveratrol were healthier and lived longer. Their organs that were inspected after their deaths appeared very healthy and youthful.

This is great news for humans because, until now, the only option we have for effective anti-aging is what’s called calorie restriction. Restricting our daily diets by 30 to 35% of calories consumes will keep the human body younger, leaner, and healthier. The problem is that most humans can not sustain this kind of diet. The food is not desirable and most people are hungry all of the time.

The show featured a group called ‘The Skinnys’ who are part of a study of people who commit to staying on a calorie restricted diet. The food that they showed was not exactly appealing. The people were very skinny and looked healthy but it is doubtful that the majority of people could live that kind of lifestyle.

The option to be able to take a pill and know that we can have better health while living the same kind of lifestyle we are accustomed is exciting to most of us. This resveratrol pill may help people who are already aging to fight disease and let them be more active and have more energy and better quality of life.

It was stated in the show that this fountain of youth pill may be still 5 years from market, if it passes as a pharmaceutical at all. What we have now is resveratrol in supplement form. You have to do your homework on the amount of resveratrol you find in a particular brand. This is going to vary in a big way. Many companies have jumped on resveratrol like it is a fad and put together products that are not high quality or highly concentrated.

There are safe and effective pharmaceutical grade resveratrol supplements that have 10X more resveratrol than other brands. You will need higher concentrations in order to see results. It is also important to choose a reputable brand with their own science behind the product to insure that a formula is available that will actually get absorbed in your body in an amount that can impact aging in a measurable way.

To learn more about Shaklee Independent Distributor anti-aging resveratrol plus polyphenols from a super (muscadine) grape that takes resveratrol to a new level with 10X more power than resveratrol only supplements, visit http://revolutionarynutrition4you.com.