Resveratrol is a naturally occurring compound in plants that stimulates the body’s defenses against aging. The Japanese knotweed plant is known to have the highest resveratrol concentration among plant sources. Other sources of resveratrol include red grape skins, raspberries, blueberries and cranberries, pomegranate and raw cacao.
The benefits of resveratrol are not only anti-aging, but resveratrol has anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial, and neuroprotective properties as well. It is used to help combat and neutralize damaging free radicals in the body. It provides protection against some neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and stroke. And it can increase cerebral blood flow, protecting against depression and brain inflammation.
Studies indicate resveratrol has the ability, among other things, to improve blood sugar in Type 2 diabetes and show beneficial effects on glycemic control and HDL-cholesterol levels.
Authors of a Swiss study on resveratrol and lung cancer suggest it is “one of the most studied natural products, notably for its cancer chemoprevention properties[MOU1] .” Longevity researcher Dr. David Sinclair has found dramatic improvements in overall health of lab animals consuming resveratrol, the same health benefits seen in people supplementing with this powerful nutraceutical.
So what does all this have to do with Dr. Becker’s Bites? One of my daughter’s dreams (the vet daughter) was to create a line of therapeutic treats that are healthy, taste amazing, and deliver a specific health benefit. These are treats that cater to some of the veterinarian’s more difficult health situations and contain herbs, nutraceuticals and supplements that can be hard to source, dose and administer. Pets Veratrol is one of those treats. The resveratrol in Dr. Becker’s Bites Pets Veratrol treat is human grade, organic and sourced from Japanese knotweed (it does not contain the component from grapes that is toxic to dogs). Dr. Robert Sciafani, the Chair of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department at CU Denver says, “There’s no doubt! If you feed an animal this stuff, they’re going to get less cancer.” And while we know there are no health guarantees in this world, providing species appropriate treats with potent anti-aging benefits seems like a smart choice, when we think about all our pets are up against.