Finding Relief the Natural Way

It’s been known that a small amount of red wine can be beneficial to your health. There’s a chemical in it called Resveratrol that is thought to lower your risk of heart disease. Not only that but it can also act as an anti-inflammatory.

Today researchers at the FDA are looking at Resveratrol not as a nutritional supplement but as “an investigational new drug”. They are specifically looking at the benefits and risks of using larger amounts of “red wine extract” in helping combat heart disease as well as “a lower rate of age-related memory loss and cancer”. [source] The researchers want to know what some of the side-effects would be if this were to become a prescribed medication- though people can get the chemical in lower doses by drinking red wine and even grape juice. From the article, some of the risks could be:

mild estrogen-like properties, making its use unwise for women at increased risk for breast cancer or other hormone-sensitive conditions. Children and women who are pregnant, nursing or trying to conceive should not take the supplement since it contains factors that may adversely affect growth. Likewise, people taking blood thinners or other prescription or over-the-counter drugs should not take the product without a doctor’s approval because of the potential for drug interactions.

These risks are there with practically any chemical. But resveratrol is found in natural foods and can be consumed without any adverse affects by people not sensitive to, for instance, grapes. This chemical can lower your cholesterol and possible decrease your pain sensitivity (if your pain is caused by swelling, such as with Arthritis or Lupus). I don’t think trying a small dosage supplement would hurt overall, but keep it simple (as with everything).

I’m currently looking at alternative therapies for my own pain issues. So far, the massive doses of Vitamin D that I’ve been on have improved my cognitive function to the point that I almost forget what it’s like to be in a fog. Yes, some days I get lost in myself, but it’s not every day like it was prior to the discovery that my Vitamin D levels were so low. I’ve also started taking some prenatal vitamins (I buy them for Pee Wee anyway, right?). I haven’t seen a definitive improvement from those but that really doesn’t deter me. I’ve discovered that one doctor and his pharmaceutical rep weren’t looking out for me when prescribing me pills and that nature’s goodness was what I really needed. Between the yoga and the Vitamin D I am almost back to my old self.

Now, I’m looking for ways to get myself closer to my old self. My swelling has been a problem for me and a natural anti-inflammatory may just do the trick. It doesn’t make sense for me to be on one pill for something, another pill to combat the effects of the first pill, and a third pill to help me through what the second pill does to me. If I can find a decent amount of relief (read: Make my life livable again) through natural means, then I’m going to do that.