Eye and Body Health - Without the Alcohol

One of the mysteries of aging was that the French people, despite a diet rich in fat and having among the highest percentage of smokers in the world, lived longer than many of their counterparts living in “healthier” countries. The differences weren’t explained by genetics, better doctors, or fewer environmental toxins.

What was suspected was that the French might be getting some benefit from their frequent drinking of wine. And then the evidence began to “pour in” — first in animal studies, and then in human studies. A compound known as resveratrol, a polyphenolic compound found abundantly in red wine and grapes, was the critical chemical in red wine with a myriad of health benefits — longer life, improved heart health, strengthening of normal cells, weight control, better glucose levels, improved circulation in arteries and more.

The question became, “Not what can resveratrol do?” but rather, “What can’t resveratrol do?”

Companies jumped on the mountain of research and hundreds of resveratrol supplements began hitting store shelves.

Our customers asked us for the past few years why we hadn’t offered a resveratrol product, and frankly, there wasn’t (yet) shown to be any benefit to eye health. But that changed when a recent study demonstrated that resveratrol effectively prevented fragile new blood vessels from forming in the retina and even eliminating them once they had formed.*

The study, published in the American Journal of Pathology found that resveratrol reduces the growth of these non-functioning new blood vessels in the eye (angiogenesis), the very same process that causes leakage of blood and fluid in the the retinas of some people with vision problems due to increasing age or elevated blood glucose. Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis found that high doses of resveratrol help block the formation of these “neovascular” blood vessels in mouse retinas. When abnormal new blood vessels grow out of control, the result can be rapid vision loss due to retinal leakage.

Here is how they did the study — first, the investigators used a laser to make four incisions on the retinas of mice, thereby stimulating “angiogenesis” (the formation of these tiny, fragile blood vessels). Some mice received no resveratrol, while two groups received different doses that far exceeded the level of resveratrol found in a single glass of wine.

The scientists found that in the two groups of mice given resveratrol, the leaky blood vessels began to disappear! And the effect was much more marked in the group given the higher dose.

Now that I was intent on bringing resveratrol to our thousands of devoted customers, the question became, “How do we do it better than everyone else?”

I scoured the offerings from major manufacturers and vitamin stores, and I was shocked to discover two things:

1. First, the active trans-resveratrol was coming not from grapes but rather from the plant Polygonum Cuspidatum (Japanese knotweed), which is identified as a “noxious weed” by the United States Department of Agriculture (plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POCU6). Why? Because trans-resveratrol is very plentiful in this plant, and the plant itself — a “noxious weed” is DIRT CHEAP!
2. Secondly, to cover up the fact that trans-resveratrol is coming from Japanese Knotweed, manufacturers add various red wine grape ingredients in tiny amounts, just so that these ingredients can be listed on the label and the capsules smell of wine when the vitamin bottle is opened — fooling you into thinking the primary ingredient is grapes!

So finally, working with a leading manufacturer of naturally-derived nutritional supplements, I devised my own resveratrol product that I consider to be leaps and bounds above the offerings of others — Reziva resveratrol red wine extract from French wine grapes. Each bottle contains a 30-day supply.

Reziva® is a concentrated extract made from red wine grapes grown in the fertile valleys of southern France. The name lovingly comes from “Ziva,” the Slavic Goddess of Longevity. Unlike other resveratrol supplements made using Polygonum Cuspidatum (Japanese knotweed), Reziva® contains concentrated trans-resveratrol, oligomeric proanthocyanidins, anthocyanins and wine polyphenols — just like real red wine.

In other words, Reziva® is concentrated red wine — but without the alcohol! And taking only one Reziva® capsule per day gives you as much resveratrol as 30 glasses of red wine!

Like all of our products, Vitamin Science independently tests every lot of every one of our supplements for potency and purity so that you are sure that you are getting the necessary nutrients.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. This product is not intended to be a substitute or replacement for any drug, surgery or any other medical treatment. Seek the advice of a competent health care professional for your specific health concerns. Individual results will vary.