Resveratrol first came to attention nearly seventy years ago, when it was extracted and isolated from the plant hellebore. However, its vast medicinal potential has only recently come to light with experiments on the blood sugar and cardiovascular systems of laboratory animals, plus connections with related research about human beings. Resveratrol was, rather excitingly, found to lower blood sugar, increase metabolism and fight cancerous tumors in laboratory rodents.

Resveratrol found in supplements is mostly extracted from the skin of red grapes and Japanes knotweed. Though getting Resveratrol directly from eating might sound better it is not; mainly because of the quantities that one would need to ingest to get enough of the substance. Eating too much of anything can be harmful to your health.

Let us take, for example, hellebore, the plant that first put this compound in the spotlight. While potentially helpful, hellebore can also be lethal. In a televised experiment, a Discovery Channel research team showed compelling evidence supporting the theory that a hellebore overdose killed Alexander the Great, after he was given huge quantities over a short period of time to help deal with his grief over the death of Hephaistion, his companion and lover.

Another well-known source of Resveratrol is red wine. However, it can be quite difficult to figure out how much wine you should drink, as the amount of Resveratrol in a glass depends on where and when the grapes used to make the wine were harvested. Also, the amount of Resveratrol can be so small that you would probably have to make yourself inebriated and yet never get the dosage you want. Not very healthy or convenient, is it?

This is why it is so interesting that supplements manufacturers have managed to package Resveratrol for oral ingestion. You can simply take the recommended dosage as a pill or dietary supplement. You will not have to worry that you are not getting enough, or that you are ingesting harmful substances along with the Resveratrol.

Laboratory research has indicated that a human being might need something like four grams of Resveratrol per day in order to see a large drop in blood sugar. Even though most testing has been done on animals, scientists know enough about human body mass and metabolism in order to do the appropriate conversion calculations.

Still, you do not necessarily have to take very large doses of Resveratrol, especially if your blood sugar or other problems are not very severe. You might take small doses regularly as a preventive measure, perhaps to stop yourself from getting full-blown diabetes or hypertension. You might be teetering on the brink of either of these diseases, and it is best to use medicine to help you back off the edge. Once you really have diabetes or hypertension, there will be ways to control or treat your condition, but leading a completely normal, active life will be difficult. Prevention is truly the best option, and Resveratrol can help you in your fight to stave off diabetes, hypertension, and perhaps even cancer.