If you have been paying attention to the media recently you have no doubt seen coverage of resveratrol capsules. Resveratrol supplements have been touted as “the fountain of youth” and even hard-nosed clinical researchers are excited by the potential of this compound. So does resveratrol really work? We’ll give you the straight scoop.

It’s first helpful to understand exactly what resveratrol is. The components of resveratrol are naturally occurring, most often seen when certain plants are under attack by fungi or bacteria. Resveratrol capsules usually contain resveratrol that has been manufactured by chemical synthesis using Japanese knotweed. Resveratrol is found in the skin of red grapes and is a constituent of red wine, although you would have to consume gallons of wine a day to get a high enough dosage to see any benefit.

In the last few years, an incredible number of resveratrol reviews have appeared in a variety of TV shows, newspapers, and magazines including the Oprah Winfrey Show, 60 Minutes, Barbara Walters, the Discovery Channel and many others. The many health benefits ascribed to resveratrol include weight loss, increased metabolism, anti-aging, cardiovascular protection, and fighting off various cancers.

What the fine print does not usually tell you is that the benefits of resveratrol in the form of resveratrol capsules has not yet been proven in humans. To date, most experiments testing resveratrol have been conducted on mice and rats. While mice are known to have similar body chemistry to humans, until human tests can be run there is no guarantee that resveratrol will be beneficial.

Resveratrol 250 mg capsules are now all over the market, manufactured by dozens of companies. It is important to remember that no dosage has been recommended by researchers and clinicians in the field. Some tests have shown some benefits of resveratrol at relatively low levels of concentration while other experiments only observed impacts at much higher levels – as much as 3 to 5 grams. Until we have confirmed human testing, there is no way to know whether resveratrol 250 mg capsules contain the correct dose.

Many experiments have shown that resveratrol can extend the life of such organisms as worms, fruit flies, and fish. The compound also has been shown to be effective at counteracting a high-fat diet in mice. It is believed that resveratrol can prevent the alteration of gene pathways changed by a high-fat diet.

There has been great excitement in the cancer community about the potential for resveratrol to battle various types of cancers. The compound has been shown to have positive effects on the cells of breast, skin, gastric, colon, esophageal, prostate, and pancreatic cancer, and leukemia. However, these experiments have been conducted on the molecular level and did not involve human subjects consuming resveratrol capsules.

In tests, the most efficient way taking resveratrol has proven to be via direct absorption through the inside of the mouth – in other words, without swallowing it. In studies, when small amounts of resveratrol were retained in the mouth for about a minute, the amount of resveratrol measured in the subject’s plasma was equal to consuming a resveratrol 250 mg capsule.

So if you’re thinking about taking resveratrol supplements, what’s the bottom line? There is no medical consensus on whether resveratrol is effective in humans. On the other hand, prominent doctors such as the famed “Dr. Oz” of the Cleveland Clinic as well as David Sinclair, a biologist at Harvard Medical School and a leading resveratrol researcher do take resveratrol supplements. In addition, resveratrol has not been found to be toxic and few side effects have been reported.

While more certainly needs to be known about resveratrol’s effects in humans, you may want to think about adding resveratrol supplements to your diet. The only way to see if resveratrol will work for you is to try it.