Resveratrol May Promote Numerous Anti-Inflammatory Benefits

March 29, 2007 - There has been much in the news about the French Paradox. This phenomenon states that though the French engage in diets rich in saturated fats, they have a relatively small occurrence of coronary heart disease, due in a large part to their high consumption of red wine. Researchers believe that the resveratrol in red wine is responsible for its protective effects on human health. Resveratrol is a naturally occurring antioxidant that fights free radicals in the body, helps maintain a healthy immune system and may also have an anti-aging effect.

For those of you who follow the nutrition news on a regular basis, there have been several studies discussed in the last few months touting the incredible benefits of resveratrol. There was a study published late last year from Harvard Medical School1 indicating that resveratrol, when given to mice in very large dosages equivalent to several hundred glasses of red wine per day, produced a significant extension of life span along with protecting the cells and organs from the damage elevated blood sugar causes. Further, resveratrol showed significant improvement in endurance and physical performance in the same study.

There were a couple of interesting animal studies published earlier this month on resveratrol unrelated to life span or physical endurance. In one study published in the journal Life Science, a group of rats were treated with a chemical to induce elevated blood sugar along with damage to the nerve endings. Six weeks after this damage was induced, these mice were then supplemented with two weeks of resveratrol. The resveratrol produced a marked increase in catalase (a powerful antioxidant enzyme). There was also improvement in nerve function which was actually demonstrated on pathologic review of the nerves performed after supplementation with resveratrol. The researchers concluded that the study suggested the potential of resveratrol for the benefit of impaired nerve function produced by elevated blood sugar and that its protective effect may be mediated through a reduction in oxidative stress and DNA fragmentation (damage).

In another study published March 2007 in Circulation Journal2, researchers tested the effects of resveratrol on inflammation of the heart muscle cells of rats. It was found that resveratrol diminished the inflammation within three weeks. It measured a particular enzyme in the heart muscle called SIRT1 which was increased after resveratrol was given.

Finally, in another study out of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Institute published in the March 2007 journal Blood3, it was found that resveratrol seemed to inhibit the proliferation of abnormal cellular growth within the bone marrow.

Resveratrol is truly one of the most amazing nutrients I have ever studied. It activates genes at the DNA level to produce repair and protective enzymes naturally by the cells. The fountain of youth may actually be a fountain of red wine high in resveratrol. Red wine does provide other benefits beyond resveratrol in the form called polyphenols. These are also powerful antioxidants. A 12 year study published in the British Medical Journal4 in May 1995 following over 13,000 men and women aged 30 - 70 indicated those who drank hard liquor had a 34% increase in mortality versus those who drank 3 - 5 glasses of wine having a 49% reduction in all cause mortality compared to those who never drank wine. There are no drugs or surgeries capable of this dramatic reduction.

There were a couple of other interesting studies in the recent press. At a presentation of the American Psychosomatic Society in Budapest, Hungary5, researchers noted that people with lower blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids were more prone to have a negative outlook and to be more impulsive. Those with higher levels, however, were generally more agreeable and less likely to have a sour mood. The researchers noted that the findings hinted that omega-3 fatty acids may contribute to structural improvement in areas of the brain related to emotion.

Finally, there was a small but interesting study published in the March 2007 edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine6 regarding fiber. The study involved 35 participants, 18 of them were lean and had normal blood pressure while 17 were obese and hypertensive. The ages ranged between 18 to 49 years old. The group was randomized to receive either high fiber (30 grams a day) special diet called "Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension" (DASH) or a fiber supplemented diet with 30 grams of fiber per day. It was found that, overall, the mean C reactive protein (CRP) dropped from 4.4 to either 3.8 or 3.6, depending on which diet was utilized. This was statistically significant. However, in the 18 lean individuals with normal pressure, their C reactive protein dropped from 2 to as low as 1.2 which was also statistically significant. The hypertensive obese people had some drop in C reactive protein, although it was not statistically significant. C reactive protein (CRP) is an inflammatory marker in the blood which can be elevated in a host of conditions including problems with the cardiovascular system. It was unclear from the study why this effect occurred although it seemed that dietary fiber appeared to be helpful in modulating inflammation in the body.

In the March 2007 edition of Men's Health Journal, the cover story called "Reverse Aging" reviewed a series of different resveratrol products on the market and declared the NSI brands the most potent of the bunch and was equivalent to 169 glasses of red wine.


1. Baur, J., Pearson, K et al. Nature, 2006 Resveratrol improves health and increases survival of mice on a high-calorie diet Nature2006. DOI 10.1038/nature05354
2. Hsieh YH, Huang SS, Wei FC and Hung LM, Resveratrol attenuates ischemia - reperfusion-induced leukocyte - endothelial cell adhesive interactions and prolongs allograft survival across the MHC barrier, Circulation Journal, March 2007; 71(3):423-8
3. Bhardwaj A, Sethi G, Vadhan-Raj S, Carlos Bueso-Ramos C, Takada Y, Gaur U, Nair A, Shishodia S and Aggarwal B, Blood, Resveratrol inhibits proliferation, induces apoptosis, and overcomes chemoresistance through down-regulation of STAT3 and nuclear factor- B-regulated antiapoptotic and cell survival gene products in human multiple myeloma cells, March 2007,109: 2293 - 2302
4. Gronbaek M, Deis A, Sorensen TI, Becker U, Schnohr P and Jensen G, Mortality associated with moderate intakes of wine, beer, or spirits, British Medical Journal, May 1995, 6;310(6988):1165-9
5. Conklin S, 65th Annual Scientific Conference of the American Psychosomatic Society, Budapest, Hungary, March 7-10, 2007
6. King D, Egan B, Woolson R, Mainous A, Al-Solaiman Y and Jesri A, Effect of a High-Fiber Diet vs a Fiber-Supplemented Diet on C-Reactive Protein Level, Archives of Internal Medicine, March 2007;167:502-506.

http://www.vitacost.com/newsletter/...YH20070329:main