Pterostilbene Health Benefits; Dosage; Side Effects
What Is Pterostilbene?
Pterostilbene is a stilbene molecule and dimethylated derivative of resveratrol, an antioxidant that helps fight free radical damage which contributes to the aging process.
It was named after the Pterocarpus plant family plants, which were the first sources of pterostilbene to be discovered. Originally the compound was isolated from the red sandalwood tree (Pterocarpus santalinus) and later sourced from Pterocarpus marsupium. There are more than 35 different pantropical pterocarpus plants, which are native to Asia and Western Africa. Pterocarpus plants go by several names around the world, including Paduak, Narra, Indian kino tree, Malabar kino and Vijayasar.
What is pterostilbene good for when it comes to improving your health? A 2013 review published in the journal Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity states, “The antioxidant activity of pterostilbene has been implicated in anticarcinogenesis, modulation of neurological disease, anti-inflammation, attenuation of vascular disease, and amelioration of diabetes.
Some of the many positive effects of pterostllbene benefits include:
●Fighting oxidative stress, thanks to its strong antioxidant activity. This allows it to help prevent and treat various chronic diseases.
●Helping to prevent cancer and tumor growth, especially breast and colon cancers.
●Protecting against neurological diseases, including memory loss and dementia.
●Fighting inflammation, the root cause of many diseases, and boosting the immune system.
●Protecting the heart and blood vessels.
●Naturally fighting bacterial and fungal infections of the skin.
●Helping to prevent diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome.
Pterostilbene Benefits
1. Fights Oxidative Stress
There’s evidence that pterostilbene has anti-inflammatory properties, reduces oxidative stress and reduces production of reactive oxygen species, which contribute to many chronic diseases. In animal studies, cells treated with pterostilbene have shown increased expression of the antioxidants catalase, total glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and superoxide dismutase.
2. May Help Prevent Cancer
Like resveratrol, pterostilbene has been reported to have cancer-preventive activity. In several clinical trials, it has been shown to be a natural anticancer agent due to its antioxidant and antineoplastic properties (antineoplastic means it acts to prevent, inhibit or halt the development of a neoplasm, or a tumor). Consuming pterostilbene helps lead to improved function of normal cells and inhibition of malignant cells. Some of the ways that it inhibits cancer growth is through the alteration of cancerous cell cycles, induction of apoptosis (cell death), and inhibition of tumorigenesis and metastasis.
A number of studies have found that blueberry extract containing pterostilbene can be especially helpful for preventing and treating breast cancer. Results from experiments using blueberry juice and extract derived from velvetleaf blueberries showed that blueberry exerts an antiproliferative effect against breast cancer cell lines due to the presence of specific chemical components that modify carcinogenic pathways. There’s some evidence that pterostilbene may help inhibit cytochrome P450, an enzymes that activates a variety of compounds known as “procarcinogens” that make carcinogens more dangerous.
3. Supports Cognitive Health
Blueberries are known to be a powerful brain food because they are a great source of protective antioxidants that can help enhance cognition and protect memory. While more studies are needed to confirm its effects, there’s some evidence that pterostilbene supplements may help reduce symptoms like brain fog, anxiety, poor memory and difficulty learning. Due to its ability to prevent oxidative stress in the brain, pterostilbene and other similar compounds may help protect against neurological problems, including Alzheimer’s disease, cerebral injury, neuronal apoptosis, reduced brain volume and brain edema (swelling).
4. May Help Reduce Risk for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders
Some animal studies have found that supplementing with 250–500 milligrams of pterostilbene can have benefits for improving cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar (glucose) levels. Because it can help with the reduction of blood glucose, it may be able to improve insulin sensitivity and offer protection against diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
One study published in the journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that when adults with high total cholesterol levels supplemented with 125 milligrams of pterostilbene twice daily they experienced a reduction in blood pressure (diastolic and systolic). The participants who were not on cholesterol medication also experienced minor weight loss with pterostilbene.
In other animal studies, supplementing with low doses of pterostilbene led to an improvement in cholesterol metabolism, including an increase in HDL “good cholesterol” and a decrease in LDL “bad cholesterol.” One study out of Annamalai University’s Department of Biochemistry in India involving diabetic rats found that supplementing with 40 milligrams of pterostilbene per kilogram of body weight resulted in a significant reduction in triglyceride levels over a six-week period.
Dosage and Side Effects
Compared to medications that are prescribed to treat symptoms like high cholesterol and other common health problems, pterostilbene is much less likely to cause side effects (such as muscle pain and nausea). It is generally safe to consume from both foods and supplements, but in high doses it may interfere with the effects of certain medications.
If you take medications to help control your cholesterol, blood pressure and/or blood glucose levels, it’s best to speak with your doctor first before beginning any new supplements. Your doctor can help to monitor your reaction if you choose to start taking pterostilbene in order to make sure your dosage doesn’t need to be adjusted.
Even when taken in high doses, pterostilbene has been found to be generally non-toxic. However, high doses do not seem to offer additional benefits, which is why you should follow dosage recommendations, and according to the research published in the Journal of Toxicology, “the potential for toxicity cannot be excluded at higher doses.” Stop taking pterostilbene supplements if you experience nausea, aches, hives or any unusual symptoms. If you have allergies to pterostilbene foods like berries, peanuts or grapes, you should avoid eating these foods even if they are otherwise considered “healthy.”
Where Should We Buy Pterostilbene Powder in Bulk?
With people becoming more and more aware of the benefits of Pterostilbene, the demand for Pterostilbene supplements has increased greatly in the market. This has led to manufacturing companies vying with each other to produce high-quality supplements to grab share in the market. If you are a health supplements manufacturer planning to foray into the Pterostilbene supplements market, you must ensure that you are getting the highest-quality Pterostilbene powder. Sourcing good-quality material is the first step in ensuring the success of any business.
If you are looking for a place to buy Pterostilbene powder in bulk, the one company you can blindly trust for sourcing raw material is Cofttek. The company, owing to its strong research team and dedicated sales department, has established a worldwide presence in only a short amount of time — it has clients and partners around the world. The Pterostilbene produced by the company comes in big batches of 25 kgs and is sourced from highest-quality ingredients, thereby ensuring that the supplements produced from it can be trusted for quality and efficacy. If you want to buy Pterostilbene in bulk, the only place to shop is cofttek.com.
References
1. Adrian M, et al. Stilbene content of mature Vitis vinifera berries in response to UV-C elicitation. J Agric Food Chem. (2000)
2. Rimando AM, et al. Revision of the NMR Assignments of Pterostilbene and of Dihydrodehydrodiconieferyl alcohol: Cytotoxic Constituents from Anogeissus acuminata. Nat Prod Lett. (1994)
3. Fan LL, et al. Simultaneous quantification of five major constituents in stems of Dracaena plants and related medicinal preparations from China and Vietnam by HPLC-DAD. Biomed Chromatogr. (2009)
4. Püssa T, et al. Polyphenolic composition of roots and petioles of Rheum rhaponticum L. Phytochem Anal. (2009)
5. Sobolev VS, et al. Biological activity of peanut (Arachis hypogaea) phytoalexins and selected natural and synthetic Stilbenoids. J Agric Food Chem. (2011)