Resveratrol is a substance found in red wine and the skin of red grapes. You have probably heard of some of the prior research which has indicated that it has anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and life extension benefits. Now to that list we can add the possibillity that resveratrol is beginning to look like a promising weapon against type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes was formerly referred to as “adult-onset” diabetes. It causes cells to become less sensitive to the effects of insulin, as opposed to type 1 diabetes (formerly called juvenile diabetes), where the body just does not produce enough insulin.

Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences found that in animal studies, resveratrol improves insulin sensitivity by activating an enzyme which in turn supresses a molecule that tends to decrease insulin activity.

Of course, further testing is required to confirm that the findings will translate to different animals and humans. One encouraging finding was that much lower doses of resveratrol were required than in previous studies.

In addition to grapes, grape juice and wine, resveratrol is found in varying amounts in a number of types of berries, plums and peanuts, and nutritional supplements are widely available. An interesting sidenote is that resveratrol in many ways seems to duplicate the biochemical effects of caloric restriction, so far the only reliable way that researchers have found to extend lifespan.

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Back in December, I made a couple of posts (here and here) about how the USDA had ignored the public’s opinion and approved a genetically engineered strain of rice that had previously somehow escaped from test plots run by Bayer CropScience and contaminated the US rice supply.

Well, on Oct 5, the USDA released their conclusions regarding how the genetically engineered rice had escaped. Or should I say, their lack of conclusions. They ended the investigation, which took over 8500 staff hours and visits to 45 locations in 11 states and Puerto Rico with the admission that they don’t know what happened.

Supposedly “missing records” are the culprit here. But the USDA will take no action against Bayer. It’s obvious that the USDA feels their job is to accomodate the companies who experiment with these genetically engineered organisms, rather than to protect the public, farmers, and the food supply from errors and accidents. This is just a sampling of what’s going to happen if the USDA doesn’t come up with and enforce some strict new guidelines for GE crops.

This time, the price was “merely” a tremendous economic loss for rice growers and exporters, because other nations closed their borders when what had happened became known. Next time an experimental GE crop contaminates our food supply, we may not be so lucky. They don’t call them “Frankenfoods” for nothing.

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