Is pterostilbene better than resveratrol?
Pterostilbene is absorbed more efficiently than resveratrol and more often outperforms it in laboratory and mouse research, but it has never been shown in humans that this absorption advantage also produces a measurable health benefit. Do not simply choose pterostilbene on the basis of promises from animal research.
Pterostilbene is absorbed more efficiently by the body than resveratrol. This is because pterostilbene has a slightly different chemical structure: it is more fat-soluble, which allows it to cross the intestinal wall more easily and remain more stable in the bloodstream. Multiple reviews regard this as a fundamental advantage.
In laboratory and animal research, that advantage shows up in measurable terms. In colorectal cancer cells, pterostilbene was two to five times more potent than resveratrol. In mouse studies on colorectal tumours, pterostilbene also performed better. And because pterostilbene crosses the blood-brain barrier more easily, it also provided better protection against age-related brain damage in animal models. These are, however, all laboratory and mouse findings, not clinical results in humans.
On some points, resveratrol actually comes out ahead. In activating a specific signalling system that regulates blood vessel formation, resveratrol scored higher than pterostilbene in laboratory research. In countering harmful oxygen molecules in white blood cells, resveratrol inhibited them both inside and outside the cell, while pterostilbene acted mainly outside the cell. What counts as 'better' therefore depends on which biological process you are looking at.
For the brain, the situation with resveratrol is disappointingly clear: clinical studies in people with memory complaints or early Alzheimer's show no protective or therapeutic effect. Clinical trials of pterostilbene in humans do not yet exist, so whether its superior absorption also translates into a measurable real-world benefit remains unknown.
On safety: a small pilot study in 30 healthy men found no side effects at 10 or 100 mg of pterostilbene per day over 12 weeks. That is an initial reassuring sign, but the study was too small and too short to draw conclusions about the effects of long-term use.
Sources: nine PMIDs, including reviews, laboratory and cell studies, animal models, and one small human pilot study (n=30). No large RCTs or head-to-head clinical trials in humans.
Is raw milk healthier than pasteurised milk?
Raw milk offers no proven health advantages over pasteurised milk, while its infection risk is considerably higher. For pregnant women, young children and people with weakened immune systems, the risk is large enough to warrant avoiding raw milk.
Is wholegrain bread really that much better than white bread?
Large-scale observational research consistently points in the same direction: wholegrain is better for your heart, your weight and your longevity. Anyone who eats bread every day is best off choosing wholegrain.
Do you live longer on a vegetarian or plant-based diet?
A high-quality plant-based diet is associated with less premature death. However, eating strictly vegetarian or vegan has not been proven to be better than a varied diet that occasionally includes meat or fish.
Does the 16:8 schedule work better than other forms of intermittent fasting?
16:8 works better than shorter fasting windows in the short term, but over the long term it is not demonstrably better than simply eating fewer calories. Choose the approach you can sustain best.
Is a low-carbohydrate or ketogenic diet good for longevity?
A ketogenic diet can help with weight problems and metabolic disorders, but for people who simply want to live longer and healthier, no proven advantages over a varied diet have been demonstrated. Those who exercise intensively may even be at a disadvantage.
Does a fasting-mimicking diet work better than simply eating less?
A fasting-mimicking diet has promising effects on several health markers, but whether it works better than simply eating less has not yet been demonstrated. If you want to try it, be aware that independent long-term data are still lacking and that the costs of commercial packages are a real consideration.