Resveratrol May Slow Aging in Humans
Plant Extract Resveratrol Suppresses Inflammation, Study Finds
By
Bill Hendrick
Aug. 4, 2010 -- The plant extract resveratrol, found in the skin
of red grapes, appears to suppress inflammation and may fight aging in
humans, according to a new study.
Common food sources of resveratrol include grapes, wine, peanuts, blueberries, and cranberries.
Study author Husam Ghanim, PhD, of the University of Buffalo says
the popular plant extract has been shown to prolong life and reduce the
rate of aging in roundworms, fruit flies, and yeast, apparently because
resveratrol affects a gene associated with longevity.
Now, Ghanim and colleagues say they have found that resveratrol
reduces inflammation in humans that could lead to heart disease, stroke,
and type 2 diabetes.
The researchers signed up 20 people and put them at random into
two groups, one receiving a placebo and the other a supplement
containing 40 milligrams of resveratrol. The volunteers took pills once a
day for six weeks.
Fasting blood samples were taken at the start of the trial and then at intervals of one, three, and six weeks.
Results showed that resveratrol suppressed the generation of
“free radicals” -- unstable molecules known to cause oxidative stress
and release pro-inflammatory substances into the blood, resulting in
damage to the blood vessel lining.
People taking resveratrol also showed suppression of the
inflammatory protein tumor necrosis factor, or TNF, and other compounds
that increase blood vessel inflammation and interfere with insulin
action, causing insulin resistance and the risk of developing diabetes.
Blood samples from those on placebo showed no significant change in pro-inflammatory markers.
Anti-inflammatory Effects
Although the study results seem promising, researcher Paresh
Dandona, MD, PhD says it didn’t eliminate the chance that something in
the extract other than resveratrol was the reason for the
anti-inflammatory effects.
“The product we used has only 20% resveratrol, so it is possible
that something else in the preparation is responsible for the positive
effects,” he says. “These agents could be even more potent than
resveratrol. Purer preparations now are available and we intend to test
those.”
The authors say their findings are “consistent with an anti-aging action of resveratrol.”
The study is published online in advance of an upcoming print issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
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