What is resveratrol
Resveratrol is a plant produced anti-body that is found in several plants with grape skins and red wine having the highest of resveratrol content. It’s found in the highest amounts in the skin of red grapes (wine). This anti-body in non-human clinical trails has made such claims as: anti-cancer, anti-viral, neuroprotective, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory and life prolonging effects.
Fresh grape skin contains about 50 to 100 micrograms of resveratrol per gram. And while this number can vary greatly depending the region of the grapes, fermentation process and other factors can change the amounts significantly.
Common misspellings of Resveratrol include Reseveratol, Resveratol, Resveratral and Resverratrol.
What are resveratrol supplements used for?
The primary use of supplements that contain resveratrol are to combat aging. Consumer products sold are marketed to increase your lifespan by taking resveratrol and enjoy something called The French Paradox without having to drink excessive amounts of alcohol.
Why is it so popular?
Resveratrol has been called the missing link to The French Paradox (theories as to why the French have longer life spans but relatively high fat diets). David Sinclair of the Harvard Medical School has found that resveratrol increases the production of a protein called SIRT1 in humans, and this could increase our lifespans dramatically. This SIRT1 protein has been linked to calorie restricted diet studies and potential longevity. Two of the most popular studies , one in the Nature journal and the other in Cell were conducted by Dr. Sinclair, the founder of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals. The anti-aging and life prolonging claims have made this the ‘must have’ supplement of 2006-7.
What is the recommended dosage?
Depending on which study you use, it can be between 150-200mg or as high as 3.2grams per day for a human. The amounts used in the Nature study on mice were approximately 22.4 mg/kg body weight per day. Scaling this amount to human body weights would imply an "equivalent human dose" of 1.5 to 2.0 grams/day. Compensating for the fact that humans have slower metabolic rates than mice would change the equivalent human dose to the range of 150 to 200 mg/day.
Johan Auwerx at the Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cell Biology in Illkirch, France states that the dose was 400 mg/kg of body weight was used. This would imply a higher does for any athletic usage. Compensating for the fact that humans have slower metabolic rates than mice would change the equivalent human dose to roughly 3,200 mg/day. According to the article, Dr. Auwerx himself takes 40 mg per day.
Fact: There are many other differences between a human metabolism and that of a mouse.
What does the research say in favor of resveratrol?
Experiments from the Harvard laboratory of David Sinclair (Biologist) published in 2003 the journal Nature demonstrated that resveratrol significantly extends the lifespan of yeast.
Further studies showed that resveratrol prolonged the lifespan of the worm and later a fruit fly. In 2006 it extended the life span of a short-lived fish by 59%. Other effects were noted at the time such as improved cognitive function, cardiovascular improvements, and age related motor function decline.
Later in 2006, a report in the journal Nature by Sinclair's laboratory showed that the compound improves health and survival of mice on a high-calorie diet.
Follow up studies by David Sinclair, published in November 2006 by the journal Nature, replicated the life extending benefits of resveratrol in mice, the first such demonstration in a mammal. Preliminary results showed that obese mice provided with resveratrol lived an average of 15% longer than obese mice not provided the supplement.
What does the research say against resveratrol?
As of 2007, all of the current research in favor of resveratrol has been on mice under controlled conditions. Many of the most popular studies that grabbed the attention of the media are being funded by pharmaceutical companies in hopes of capitalizing on the market for anti-aging.
None of the research is conclusive in the short term or long term benefits to humans as no human clinical studies have been performed except one study. This single study was only aimed at determining if excess amounts of resveratrol would produce any short term ill effects. None were noted.
The actual dosage amounts to humans are only from IMPLIED differences in that of a mouse and a human. The effects of an oral dose of resveratrol is still unknown. What dosage to take is unknown.
Two studies have found that it stimulates the growth of human breast cancer cells, possibly because of resveratrol’s chemical structure. Resveratrol might act as a agonist/antagonist for estrogen receptors.
Based on the research, wouldn't resveratrol be helpful for healthy athletes for longevity and increased performance?
Based on the lack of human clinical trials, there’s not a lot of evidence to show that it is healthy or unhealthy or of any benefit to humans at this point. While the research is promising and might have positive benefits and may have beneficial health effects, the fact is, no long term studies have been done.
At this time, there’s not enough conclusive human data to provide any evidence the claims are based upon facts.
''Resveratrol makes you look like a trained athlete without the training,'' Dr. Auwerx said in an interview.
This is quite a common statement for many supplement companies. It’s easier to sell hopes and dreams then.
If you want to look and feel like a trained athlete, you need to work hard and spend the time to actually be a trained athlete.
There is a lot of evidence to suggest it might be beneficial to athletic performance based on mouse studies but nothing concrete in terms of human effects of resveratrol on athlete performance.
Based on all the available research, are the supplement companies' claims too good to be true?
Specifically the claims of anti-aging are currently too good to be true. The research suggests a lot of promising benefits based on animal studies. But based on various dosages and implied differences between humans and mice, there’s no evidence to suggest what the claims state will actually occur in a consumer based supplement.
Many supplement companies simply see the opportunity to capitalize off of two popular studies funded by a pharmaceutical company. None of the evidence was based on actual human clinical trials other then to determine the effects of too high a dosage.
Simply put, the claims made as to anti-aging cannot be backed up with any human clinical studies.
Is it worth at least experimenting with resveratrol supplements?
Not at this time. It may be one to watch.
The question to ask is, “ What evidence is there to suggest in any capacity that what is seen in clinical trials using animals will have the same effects in humans?”
There is none at this time. If you look at Creatine, protein or branch chain amino acids, you will find hundreds of peer reviewed studies on human performance and effects using these substances. There are short term and long term studies being done with actual human results when using these chemicals.
What are the Conclusions and recommendations?
Based on little evidence in peer reviewed human clinical trails to substantiate any of the health claims, resveratrol is worth putting on a watch list but nothing the consumer should be putting on his or her ‘must have’ supplement list.
While there’s a lot of positive research being done, it’s still only been done on animals. Not only that, but the dosage needed is not clear not are the effects of oral dose amounts known.
The supplement industry is a billion plus dollar a year business. Part of that business is selling products based on hopes and dreams. Claims don’t have to be entirely based on facts. As with the case of resveratrol, it may prove useful to humans and it might have positive benefits but the words “it does” or “it’s proven to have shown” are not used at this time in the current research as it applies to humans.
Diet and weight loss pills commonly sell not because they are proven to work but trials in animals have shown that taking such a supplement has lead to increased weight loss over those not taking it. This is a similar claim to resveratrol.
Consumers buying this are basing their judgments on studies that are funded by pharmaceutical companies with clearly and compelling monetary reasons to ensure the points are proven in their favor. The dosage amounts are solely based on the implied from the differences based on the metabolism of mice versus humans. To make matters worse, nobody clearly knows if it works or not but they are willing to spend money to buy the ‘hope’ or the ‘dream’ this product may produce miracles and lead them to a longer life.
Selling supplements based on hopes and dreams is exactly how most companies strike it rich.
It doesn’t as much matter that it does or doesn’t work. It only matters that it might work.
And you won’t know if it does unless you try it right?
Are you willing to miss out on this supplement that might make you live longer?
Do you really want to take that chance?
Bottom line…
Resveratrol is a supplement you can put on a watch list if you must but at this time, it’s not recommended based on the lack of clinical evidence that what it claims to do in animals studies has any proof it works short term or long term in humans.
<message edited by Marc David on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 9:08 PM>