by Dan-N on November 19, 2009
We sure like to put the word “super” in front of anything in this industry. Superfoods, SuperFruits, SuperSize …whoops - that one is for the fast food industry! Around this time of year you hear a lot of talk about what will be the top SuperFood of 2010. Of course, that question would be easier to answer if we could all agree on a definition for superfoods.
What is a SuperFood Anyway?
Here is how Wikipedia defines a SuperFood -
Superfood is a term sometimes used to describe food with high phytonutrient content that may confer health benefits as a result.
That clears it all up, right? No, such a broad definition of SuperFood would make almost any fruit, by definition a SuperFood. When every fruit can fall into a definition, that definition loses any significance. If every fruit is a superfood or superfruit, what makes one fruit more super than the next???
How Does the FDA Define SuperFoods and SuperFruits
They don’t! It is important to understand that there is no legal definition of SuperFoods or SuperFruits. There is no science to apply to a food and determine if it is a super food. As far as the FDA is concerned, all this talk about Superfoods is just marketing.
What About Acai, Muscadines, Resveratrol, Noni, etc. - I thought they were SuperFoods?
We do believe that Muscadine Grapes, Acai Berries and Resveratrol all have super nutritional profiles and some impressive health benefits. So, it seems fair to call these elite fruits SuperFoods - and almost everyone does. However, if you twist our arm and ask us what scientific formula we use to determine if a food makes it to SuperFood status - we have a one word answer - Oprah!
[click to continue…]
by Dan-N on November 16, 2009
There is no question that Resveratrol supplements are very popular. If you are new to Resveratrol, you can read our Special Report on Resveratrol, Learn about Resveratrol Health Benefits, See Resveratrol in the News and discover what goes into a Resveratrol Supplement.
With Great Popularity Comes Great Deception
The supplement industry would love for you to think that all resveratrol supplements are the same. If you are busy trying to find the best resveratrol supplement you are missing a more important question - do you even want Resveratrol in your Resveratrol Supplement? Yes, we are starting to sound a little like Yogi Berra here (one of our favorites - “Baseball is 90% mental — the other half is physical.”) - let’s explain…
Trans-Resveratrol the Real Deal Resveratrol
Resveratrol actually has two parts to it - Trans-Resveratrol and Cis-Resveratrol…
While the components in Trans-Resveratrol and Cis-Resveratrol are the same, the structure and bonds are different. The science gets a little complicated, but research has consistently shown that only Trans-Resveratrol is stable and has positive health benefits.
Why Your Resveratrol Supplement May Only be 50% Trans-Resveratrol
Resveratrol is 50% Trans-Resveratrol and 50% Cis-Resveratrol. So take a look at these two labels -
While it may look like Label A is a better Resveratrol Supplement - it is not! Label A actually only has 175mg of Trans-Resveratrol (the other 175mg is Cis-Resveratrol). Label B is a much smarter choice with 198mg of Trans-Resveratrol.
Now you know the Secret - when shopping for Resveratrol Supplements, make sure you see 99% Trans-Resveratrol listed in the ingredients!
by Dan-N on November 10, 2009
[Here is a secret - we love muscadine grapes! Not for the taste, but for the incredible health benefits. This post is another in our series - "Exploring the Muscadine Grapes - A Gift from Mother Nature". If you are new to Muscadines - you need to read our Muscadine Grapes Special Report]
If you have been following our articles on muscadines you know that we love the muscadine grapes. Our love affair is not exactly with the taste of muscadines but with its nutrients. Muscadines tend to have a very sweet flavor and they are much less subtle then traditional grapes.
Will Muscadine Wine ever be Mistaken for a Fine Wine?
With great apologies to all our friends in the south who do a terrific job growing muscadine grapes - no, Muscadine Wine will never be in the same category as the top fine wines. Don’t get us wrong, Muscadine Wines have come a long way over the past several years and their taste has greatly improved. It is just our opinion that muscadines just don’t make the world’s best wines. Maybe it is the ellagic acid, the tough skin or the extra chromosomes - but there is something that makes muscadine wine have a different taste than traditional red wine.
What Muscadines Lack in Taste They Makeup For in Nutrients
While Muscadine Wine may not compete on flavor, it absolutely wins on nutrition. Muscadine Wine will deliver more resveratrol and ellagic acid than any other wine in the world. As we have discussed in our previous articles on muscadines, the muscadine grape is like a gift from Mother Nature - packed full with incredible nutrients and health benefits.
Muscadine Wine a Good Way to Get Muscadines - But Not the Best
One of the very interesting aspects of the Muscadine grape is the different nutrients found in the muscadine skin, pulp and seeds. All parts of the muscadine grape have healthy nutrients, so the best approach is to find a way to take muscadine skins, pulp and seed. Since Musadine Wine does not use the muscadine seeds, it provides some nutrients, but not everything the muscadine has to offer.
Look for Whole Fruit Muscadine Supplements to Get Everything the Muscadine Has to Offer
We are starting to see some high quality Muscadine supplements that are made with the skin, pulp and seed. You also want to make sure the muscadines were not sprayed with any pesticides, as this will reduced their nutritional content. The Perfect ResGrape Resveratrol is a favorite of ours and a great way to make muscadines a part of your diet. If you still want your Muscadine Wine, try using some muscadine wine to wash down the Perfect ResGrape capsules!
Additional Resources:
Muscadine Grapes Prove Not All SuperFruits Come From Exotic Places
Special Report on Muscadine Grapes
Special Report on Resveratrol
More Information on Perfect ResGrape Resveratrol - Whole Food Muscadine Supplement
by Dan-N on November 6, 2009
At this point most people know that pesticides are bad. Most people understand that if pesticides get into the foods we eat, they can have very negative effects. What people don’t know is that pesticides are having a very negative impact on our food supply, even when they are not in the food we eat!
Hey, What Happened to All the Resveratrol in My Red Wine?
Resveratrol is an incredible popular nutrient found in red grapes and red wine. Click here if you want to read our full Special Report on Resveratrol - its health benefits, the science and the clinical studies. We go over it in detail in the report, but Resveratrol has strong anti-aging benefits and it is believed to at least partly explain the “French Paradox” - the French have a high fat diet and smoke, but they have very low rates of heat disease. The theory is the Resveratrol in the red wine they drink is what keeps them healthy.
About 30 years ago a bottle of red wine had about 30mg of Resveratrol. Today that same bottle has only about 3mg! Why is the Resveratrol content of Red Wine decreasing? Pesticides.
Pesticides Are Making Grapes Lazy!
The antioxidants in red grapes - the resveratrol and the other polyphenols are produced by grapes to fight off infection, bugs and harsh conditions. Well, guess what happens when you start to use Pesticides to fight off the bugs and infection? You guessed it - the grapes decrease the amount of resveratrol and other polyphenols that they produce.
Resveratrol Levels Dropping in Red Grapes and Muscadine Grapes
The problem with pesticides is not just the toxic chemicals getting into our food, the problem is they are changing the actual nutritional content of the food we eat. Red grapes and Muscadine Grapes that have been sprayed with pesticides produce much less resveratrol - there is no need for resveratrol if the pesticides are doing all the work.
Our Advice - Don’t Buy Any Resveratrol Supplements Unless You Know the Grapes Were Not Treated with Pesticides
When shopping for a trans-resveratrol supplement, you want to make sure the grapes used in the supplement were not treated with pesticides. Products such as the Perfect ResGrape Resveratrol have spec sheets to show that NO pesticides were used - this is EXACTLY what you want to see before buying any Resveratrol supplements.
