Everyone seems to want to jump on the resveratrol bandwagon these days, wine drinkers and non-drinkers alike. The compound has been making headlines for a while now and people want to take advantage of its benefits. Studies have shown that mice who were fed resveratrol lived longer. Of course, in order to get any real benefit from resveratrol, you need more than just a glass of red wine at dinner. Resvertrol pills seem like an obvious choice. But these pills might not be all they're cracked up to be. According to tests performed on 13 different supplements by ConsumerLab.com, the products contained very little resveratrol compared to the amounts the long-lived mice had ingested.

From NPR.org:

ConsumerLab.com found two products that contained much less resveratrol than was stated on the label. One product, Life Extension Resveratrol Caps (20 mg per capsule), contained only 26.5 percent of claimed resveratrol. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., company that distributes the supplement says it's looking into the results.

Another product called Resvert, now distributed under the name Supplement Spot, contained only 58.2 percent of claimed resveratrol.

Only four our of the 13 products tested passed ConsumerLab.com's voluntary certification program. How and why are these companies getting away with it? Well, first of all there's no government regulation of these products. And no one has been reported as harmed, so there is no reason for the Food & Drug Administration to intercede. If you're taking these resveratrol supplements, or considering it, just know that you might not be getting all the benefits that the product's packaging claims.

The entire ConsumerLab.com report is available online if you wish to read further.