A lot of people want to know; what is resveratrol. The interest has been driven by media coverage over the last couple of years. Despite cautions that benefits to humans are unproven, people still want to know about the recommended resveratrol dosage. Here's what I can tell you. Let's start with the basics.

It is a phytochemical. That is a chemical found in plants. Phytochemicals are sometimes referred to as phyto-nutrients. They are considered “non-essential” nutrients, because the lack of them in the diet is not known to cause a deficiency disease, but scientists have confirmed that they are important to human health.

Small amounts of resveratrol are found in grape skins, cooked peanuts, bilberries, blueberries and other foods. It was first isolated in a medicinal plant, known as Japanese knotweed. The ongoing research was sparked by its concentration is some types of red wine. It was believed that the phyto-nutrient might explain the French paradox; a lower than expected incidence of heart disease among people living in Southern France, despite a high intake of dietary fat.

Later research, however, indicates that it could not explain the paradox after finding that a high resveratrol dosage, taken orally, did not greatly increase the amount present in the blood. These findings are always debatable. It may only take a tiny amount on a daily basis throughout one's life to provide the health benefit. Since phyto-nutrients are only present in small quantities in plants, there would be no way to consume a large amount, naturally. But, this small amount may be all that we need.

Major health organizations make recommendations for intakes of essential nutrients only. These recommendations are based on an amount that is believed to generally prevent a person from developing an acute deficiency disease. There is no standard recommended indicate for phyto-nutrients, because they are non-essential. So, there is no agreed upon recommended resveratrol dosage. But, let's think about some things.

Some supplement manufacturers recommend a very high resveratrol dosage, at hundreds or even thousands of milligrams per day. Other manufacturers recommend 20-50mg, per day. 26mg is twice what you would get from drinking a liter of Spanish red wine on a daily basis. If it is resveratrol that provides the benefit of red wine, 20-50mg is more than sufficient.

There is no way to tell what health problems a mega-dose could cause, if taken on a regular basis. If you know someone that is taking a high dose, encourage them to stop. Normally, the compound extends the lifespan of heart cells, but at high doses, it kills those same cells.

There is no doubt that phyto-nutrients are good for our health and it is worth our while to find a supplement that contains a variety of them. But, when you are comparing supplements, don't assume that a higher dose is better. Do your research, first. Hopefully, this answered the question of what is resveratrol. Now, you might want to learn about some other phyto-nutrients.