Reduced fat deposits, increased endurance, enhanced lifespan. What else could you ask for? Well for starters, can you make a pill that does all that? Almost. Is it bio-available? Not really. That’s where the story of Resveratrol left us. A really solid compound that could mean a host of solutions to everything from cancer to looking good. But after several years of popping as much Resveratrol as I could stand, I was still left unimpressed. Could it be that the bioavailabity of this wonder drug is what has kept it from really living up to its hype?
I think the answer is a little less concrete, but one thing is for sure. Since the moment Resveratrol was discovered, modern science couldn’t leave well enough alone, and instead opted to try and find a way to supercharge (and at the same time create a patentable version of) Resveratrol. Welcome Pterostilbene, Resveratrol’s hot(ter) sister. Pterostilbene, also known as Resveratrol 3,5 dimethyl ether, is a double methylated version of Resveratrol, which also happens to occur naturally in fruits, albeit in tiny amounts. It promises many of the same benefits as Resveratrol, but with a 65-80% bioavailability, something that kicks Resveratrol in the face.
So what are the benefits exactly? Pterostilbene activates PPAR-alpha, which leads to decreased LDL, increased HDL, and while the verdict is still out, I am willing to bet this will do amazing things for glucose(seeing as how a dose of 200mg has anecdotally caused hypoglycemia in HEALTHY individuals, I feel pretty strongly about this one). In addition to these effects, it’s a potent anti-inflammatory, has some potential anti-cancer benefits, and could help reverse cognitive decline. In fact, it exceeds at this task where Resveratrol fails : Low Dose Pterostilbene but not Resveratrol is a potent modulator in aging and Alzheimers disease
Not unique to Pterostilbene but still important to mention, it activates AMPk which is an energy sensor. This aids in fat loss, albeit at the expense of anabolism. In the bigger picture of things however, periods of AMPk activation go hand in hand with periods of silence of this enzyme. In other words, the yo-yo effect, but in a good way.
So, there are already quite a few sources for this wonder drug, but the only issue I can see with it is that it is very sensitive to light and air. That’s why there’s very little found in wine, in spite of the fact that the darker berries tend to have the highest concentration of this little gem. And even if you do find a good source, we’re still looking at 65-80% bioavailability, and that’s only if everything is just right in the gut.
It’s a good thing there’s a version out there that bypasses the gut and achieves 100% bioavailability 
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So do you know is any of this stuff lost when you cook it? Like if I were to make blueberry pancakes is any of it destroyed from the heat?
Yes it will almost all be lost. This is one of those arguments for raw food here. Remember, these life changing drugs are coming from life-protecting chemicals in plants, aka poisons that ward off fungi and other creatures. Once the fruit is “cooked”, it’s dead in a way, and those chemicals are no longer necessary.