Doctor's Best Best French Red Wine Extract contains BioVin® Advanced, a French Red Wine extract made from whole red wine grapes. BioVin® Advanced contains 5% red wine trans-resveratrol and 30-35% red wine polyphenols, including anthocyanins and other flavonoids. Each capsule of Best French Red Wine Extract provides the resveratrol equivalent of 3 glasses of red wine or 12 glasses of white wine.

The whole grape constituents in BioVin® Advanced enhance the body's antioxidant defenses to counteract the effects of free radicals. Resveratrol is involved in activating the human enzyme SIRT1, which is involved in regulating metabolism and healthy weight control. Resveratrol and red wine polyphenols have been shown to support healthy cardiovascular function and promote healthy aging. Best French Red Wine Extract features:

• BioVin® Advanced, Full Spectrum Grape Extract
• Science-Based Nutrition
• Supports the Body's Antioxidant Defenses
• Dietary Supplement

Rich in Natural Antioxidants, including Resveratrol
Best French Red Wine Extract with BioVin® Advanced delivers a wide profile of natural constituents present in wine grapes, including polyphenols, proanthocyanidins (OPCs), gallic acid, ellagic acid, quercetin, catechin, epicatechin and other valuable components. Many of these substances are powerful antioxidants, which have been studied for their potential health benefits.

Best French Red Wine Extract also contains a minimum of 5% trans-resveratrol, a potent antioxidant present in the grape skin. In a study conducted at the University of Chicago, resveratrol demonstrated significant in vitro free-radical inhibiting ability and antimutagenic activity, as well as anti-inflammatory activity in test animals. Further research reveals that resveratrol is a more potent antioxidant than vitamins C and E when scavenging lipid peroxyl radicals in liposomes in vitro.

Protects Health of Capillaries
OPCs (oligomeric proanthocyanidins) derived from grapes have been investigated for their protective effect on capillaries, the small blood vessels subject to free-radical-induced injury. OPCs show the ability to prevent the formation of lipid peroxides, a type of free-radical that can attack lipid molecules in epithelial tissue, which forms the lining of capillary walls. OPCs also protect capillary tissues from breakdown by enzymes such as collagenase, elastase and hyaluronidase.

Promotes Healthy Cardiovascular Function and Supports Healthy Aging
There is growing interest in the ability of wine grape polyphenols to protect LDL cholesterol from oxidation. In a 1993 study published in The Lancet, Frankel, et al found that phenolic substances present in wine acted as electron donors to inhibit copper-catalyzed oxidation of LDL molecules. In its unoxidized or “native” state, LDL cholesterol accumulates in blood-vessel walls only to a limited degree. On the other hand, oxidized LDL is readily absorbed by macrophages present in arterial walls, forming “foam cells.” It is possible that much of the value of dietary antioxidants may center on protecting lipid molecules from oxidation. It has been suggested that the benefits of polyphenols may help explain, in part, the so-called “French Paradox,” the relatively low mortality rate from heart disease found in regions with high consumption of red wine. In summary, the broad range of natural grape antioxidants in Best French Red Wine Extract may support overall cardiovascular health in several ways: 1) Reduction of oxidative stress (free radicals), 2) Protection of LDL cholesterol and other lipid molecules against oxidation, 3) Preventing formation of lipid peroxides which can attack capillary cell membranes, and 4) Inhibition of enzymes that break down capillary tissues.

Resveratrol has also recently been studied in animal models for its beneficial effects on healthy aging. It has particularly shown tremendous promise in mice. A study published in 2006 in the journal Nature was the first of its kind to assess the ability of resveratrol to improve survival of mice that were fed on a high-calorie diet. Caloric restriction studies have shown an ability to increase lifespan and longevity in rodent models. Resveratrol has been shown to affect the SIRT1 gene, one of the family of sirtuin genes found in mammals that are known to influence insulin and glucose production, fat metabolism and cell survival. Supplementation of mice fed on a high-calorie, high fat diet with trans-resveratrol was shown in this study to enhance their survival and longevity in comparison with control mice fed on the same diet (with no resveratrol). At 114 weeks of age, the survival rate for the mice supplemented with resveratrol was 58% whereas only 42% of the control mice survived. Moreover, the supplemented mice were compared to a third group of mice that were fed a standard diet. These mice are known to live significantly longer than those fed on a high-calorie diet. The results of the comparison showed that, although the mice fed a high-calorie diet with resveratrol were overweight, they had the same survival rate as the mice fed on a standard diet. In other words, both groups had a 58% survival rate at 114 weeks of age. This is significant in that it shows that supplementation with resveratrol caused a reduction in the rate of mortality in mice that mirrored that of healthy mice. Although further research is necessary to assess the effects of resveratrol supplementation in humans, the antioxidant and cardiovascular benefits seen in other mammals indicate that resveratrol is a compound with exciting potential.