Learn all about the polyphenol stilbene and how your skin can benefit from it below.
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In this article:
- Trans-Stilbenes Are Natural Phytochemicals
- Stilbene Has Cytoprotective Properties
- It’s Rich in Antioxidants
- It Has Anti-Inflammatory Properties
- It’s a Great Active Component in Skin Care Products
Stilbene: 5 Amazing Health Benefits
What are stilbenes? Stilbene or trans-stilbene is an organic compound commonly found in red wine or dark red fruits such as grapes, blueberries, and cranberries. It’s a type of polyphenol that comes in two forms: pterostilbene and resveratrol.
1. Trans-Stilbenes Are Natural Phytochemicals
Trans stilbenes are natural phytochemicals which are compounds produced by plants to help them thrive.
They protect them from pathogens, predators, and other competitors. This is why phytochemicals are sometimes used in traditional medicine.
For example, scientists extract the phytochemical salicin from the bark of willow trees. Salicin can help relieve pain and has anti-inflammatory properties.
Today, scientists are able to synthetically produce salicin to make the popular, over-the-counter drug, aspirin. While not all phytochemicals are beneficial for humans, the research on stilbenes shows a lot of promise.
2. Stilbene Has Cytoprotective Properties
Studies show that resveratrol has cytoprotective properties. This means it’s capable of protecting cells from harmful chemicals or compounds.
Specifically, it protects cells from injury from toxins, infections, and electrolyte disturbance. Reversatrol actually promotes autophagy in certain conditions.
What is autophagy? The literal translation of autophagy is “self-eating.” It is a mechanism the body uses to disassemble dysfunctional cells.
After breaking down dysfunctional cells, other cells can use it for other purposes. This allows the body to regenerate new cells and repair functioning ones as well.
It’s your body’s way of cleaning, recycling, and resetting. This is especially important when our cells begin to buckle over the accumulated effects of toxins or stress over time.
3. It’s Rich in Antioxidants
Antioxidants can come from natural or synthetic sources. They are compounds that can help prevent or slow down the cellular damage caused by free radicals.
Free radicals are a waste byproduct of oxidation. It can damage important components of cells, such as lipids, cellular membranes, DNA, and proteins.
When the body doesn’t have enough antioxidants to battle free radicals, oxidative stress may occur. In some instances, this may begin to hamper cellular and body functions.
In fact, it’s a known contributor to serious health conditions such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Antioxidants help the body process and remove free radicals.
They prevent damage at the cellular level. They also aid in the cellular repair process.
Polyphenols are already naturally rich in antioxidants and this includes stilbene. Several studies show that resveratrol and pterostilbene have antioxidant properties.
One animal study shows that resveratrol has the ability to reduce the effects of oxidative stress, including DNA damage, membrane protein alterations, and lipid peroxidation in adult mice. While another study shows that pterostilbene can change the oxidative activity in human cancer cells.
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4. It Has Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Studies show that resveratrol also can help relieve inflammatory conditions relating to metabolic and oxidative stress.
Inflammation is our body’s natural way of fighting off illness, infections, or even injuries. The body’s inflammatory response includes an increase in the production of white blood cells and other substances that help strengthen the immune system.
Aside from the internal changes caused by an inflammatory response, it also causes external, physical symptoms such as:
- redness
- swelling
- pain
- increase in body temperature
Short-term inflammation isn’t usually something you would need to worry about, but chronic inflammation is unhealthy and can lead to serious health conditions that are best avoided.
Studies show that certain lifestyle and dietary factors may contribute to chronic inflammation. While there are many synthetic drugs that are effective in treating chronic inflammation, these may come with unwanted side effects.
So, it’s always helpful to have natural sources to help fight inflammation. Stilbene has great potential as an anti-inflammatory compound.
5. It’s a Great Active Component in Skin Care Products
The best skin care products are those with ingredients that can make an impact at the cellular level. This is exactly what the polyphenol stilbene has to offer.
As a phytochemical with cytoprotective properties, it can regulate skin rejuvenation and help protect cells from toxins and pathogens. This means it can help your skin stay healthy and free from infections.
It’s also rich in antioxidants which most anti-aging products use as active ingredients to fight the signs and symptoms of premature aging on the skin such as:
- hyperpigmentation or age spots
- wrinkles
- saggy skin
- dull skin
- dry skin
The antioxidants in stilbenes help keep your skin cells in tiptop shape and, ultimately, help keep skin younger-looking. On top of that, they help reduce skin puffiness caused by excessive environmental stress, especially under the eyes.
With all of its benefits, who wouldn’t want to add stilbene to their skin care regimen? But don’t just purchase any skin care product that claims to have polyphenols or stilbenes.
Make sure you choose a skin care line that uses the best ingredients—like the Purple Tea Skin Care line.
Purple Tea Skin Care uses high-quality extraction methods and bottles up the powerful benefits of the rare purple tea leaf in its cream, serum, and mask products.
It grows in the African highlands of Kenya where it is exposed to extreme levels of sunlight. These harsh environmental conditions allow these mighty tea leaves to produce higher levels of polyphenols compared with other types of tea plants.
Purple tea leaves contain a higher percentage of polyphenols (16.5%) compared to green tea (10.1%) and black tea (9.1%). So, if you want to experience the skin care benefits of polyphenols and stilbenes, try Purple Tea Skin Care.
Do any of the stilbene skin care benefits appeal to you? What are your skin care concerns right now? Let us know in the comments section below.
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