Resveratrol

What is resveratrol?

Resveratrol is a compound in plants such as grapes, peanuts, and blueberries. It’s popularly known for its presence in red wine — which is also used as a possible explanation for the phenomenon called the “French Paradox”, which refers to the low incidence of cardiovascular disease among the French population despite their high intake of dietary fat. This low disease incidence was thought to be attributed to their intake of red wine.

What are resveratrol’s main benefits?

Resveratrol is best known for its cardiovascular health benefits. In humans, resveratrol improves endothelial function and may have a blood-pressure-lowering effect in some populations. In vitro, resveratrol protects against atherosclerosis. In adults with type 2 diabetes, resveratrol improves fasting glucose, HbA1c, and insulin sensitivity but doesn’t appear to benefit adults without the disease. Resveratrol consistently reduces the inflammatory cytokines C-reactive protein (CRP) and TNF-alpha. Despite the plausibility of resveratrol’s potential effects on blood lipids and body composition, resveratrol doesn’t appear to improve blood lipids in adults with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or body composition in adults with cardiometabolic conditions.

Does resveratrol promote longevity?

In humans, the answer is, unfortunately, “we don’t know.” However, a meta-analysis of 19 studies on species including yeast, nematode worms, mice, fruit flies, and fish indicated that resveratrol reduced the risk of death. Specifically, the risk of death during the average lifespan was around 49%–60% lower for worms, yeast, and killifish who were treated with resveratrol — fruit flies and mice didn’t seem to obtain a lifespan benefit.

Is red wine healthy?

Although moderate alcohol consumption has been associated with a lower risk of certain diseases, the safest amount of alcohol for most people is probably close to zero. That being said, alcohol — particularly wine — may contain some healthy compounds, with resveratrol being the most widely known. Wine’s resveratrol content has been used to support observations such as the “French paradox” — the observation that the French have a lower cardiovascular mortality rate compared to other countries despite their high intake of saturated fats.

What are resveratrol’s main drawbacks?

Resveratrol has poor bioavailability due to its rapid and extensive metabolism. Human studies suggest resveratrol can be supplemented at dosages up to 5,000 mg (5 grams) daily with few to no side effects outside of some intestinal upset and nausea. Resveratrol doses of 1,000 mg/day or more may interfere with the biological effects of commonly administered drugs by inhibiting cytochrome p450 isoenzymes. For example, resveratrol inhibits enzymes that play a role in the metabolism of statins, calcium channel blockers, immunosuppressants, antifungals, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), anticoagulants, beta-blockers, antidepressants, opioid analgesics, and antihistamines, among others. If you take any medication, consult your doctor before supplementing with resveratrol, no matter the dose.

How does resveratrol work?

The cardioprotective effects of resveratrol are primarily due to its ability to protect cells against oxidative damage by scavenging free radicals and inhibiting their production. Resveratrol also increases antioxidant levels and inhibits the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (i.e., TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6). Resveratrol also appears to have anti-fibrotic and anti-hypertrophic effects in the heart and may improve mitochondrial biogenesis and function. Regarding its lipid-lowering and glucose-lowering effects, resveratrol activates the metabolic regulators AMPK and Sirt1, thereby improving lipid metabolism and fat accumulation in the liver and increasing glucose uptake into skeletal muscle (i.e., improving insulin sensitivity) — explaining resveratrol’s potential to treat nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), type 2 diabetes, and related conditions.