I’m always looking out for supplements that can help me to stay well and be as healthy as I can. The latest one that I’ve been looking at is resveratrol.

You may have heard of resveratrol. It rose to prominence out of a study of ‘the French paradox’. For a nation that consumes large quantities of rich food, France has a remarkably low rate of heart disease and obesity. The reason initially suggested for this was the moderate amount of red wine they drink. Red wine contains resveratrol. These days, it’s thought to be the resveratrol in combination with a variety of fruits, legumes, olive oil, vegetables and whole grains that makes the difference.

Resveratrol is a polyphenol, which is a type of antioxidant, but it also has anti-inflammatory effects, some anticancer effects, boosts immunity, slows the ageing processes, protects the heart, helps with weight loss, and protects against some neurological problems. This potentially makes it a useful supplement for a number of conditions.

Cancer prevention

Resveratrol first came to the attention of researchers in 1997 when it was used topically on mice to prevent skin cancer. Since then, there has been a lot of laboratory testing that shows that it works in a number of different ways to prevent cancer, by preventing carcinogenesis, growth and metastasis in a number of different cancer types (1). Sadly, there haven’t been too many positive human trials, mainly because it doesn’t seem to be well absorbed in humans. Recently, using micronized resveratrol, the results have been much better. However, I wouldn’t risk using it with an established cancer, as the results are not consistent. But if you’re looking for something that will help prevent cancer formation or recurrence, a good quality resveratrol supplement is certainly worth considering. It seems to be most effective at preventing obesity-related cancers, which include postmenopausal breast cancer, cancers of the prostate, liver, colorectal area and pancreas (1).

Weight loss

There’s some solid evidence from clinical trials (i.e. trials in humans) that resveratrol has benefits for obesity. I have to put up my hand and admit that I’ve been fighting to keep my weight under control for most of my life. Perhaps you can relate to that. Many cancer patients can because being overweight is a risk factor for a number of cancers. Most people assume that fat cells just sit there doing not much at all except making us look bigger. That isn’t the case: they release all sorts of chemicals that increase inflammation, and inflammation can increase your risk of cancers. So keeping our weight in a healthy range is crucial. A small trial of obese men showed that 150 mg/day of resveratrol for 30 days had some significant effects, including reducing blood glucose, triglycerides, some liver enzymes and inflammatory markers. It also reduced their blood pressure (2).

Cholesterol reduction

High cholesterol is a side effect of chemo that affects many cancer patients and many are put onto statins as a result. Resveratrol may be able to reduce that for you. In a clinical trial conducted on people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), 600 mg/day for 3 months significantly reduced insulin resistance, glucose levels, cholesterol and liver enzymes (2). Not all of the research agrees with this: a meta-analysis (which pooled the results of 4 trials) and a systematic review (which summarised each of the 4 trials) was inconsistent (4). But the ones with lower dosages were positive and the high dosage ones (1500 mg and above) were not. So it seems that at lower doses it’s more effective. Incidentally, NAFLD can progress to liver cancer if it’s not stopped, so it could be helpful for those with NAFLD to prevent liver cancer if it’s used in addition to helpful lifestyle changes.

Diabetes

There are also benefits from resveratrol for those with Type 2 diabetes, which many cancer patients have. It can help improve insulin sensitivity and blood sugar levels, as well as reducing the size of foot ulcers in diabetes sufferers (5), (6), (7), (8).

Memory, learning and chemo brain

In animal studies, those treated with resveratrol had improved memory, learning and mood. This was because it increased the production of new neurons, enhancing secretion of neurotransmitters, and reduced inflammation in the brain (9). So it has the potential to protect against diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Brain inflammation is also the cause of chemo brain, so there is a possibility that it would help with that.

Anti-ageing

Resveratrol also reduced the loss of muscle mass that commonly happens with age (9). In human trials of resveratrol used topically, it has wonderful effects on the skin, increasing collagen, preventing scar tissue, improving wrinkles, elasticity, skin tone, sun damage and smoothness (10). So it has a reputation for anti-aging, which I’m certainly interested in and I suspect most of us are. Its effects on preventing scar tissue will be of particular interest to those who have had cancer surgery.

Osteoporosis

Finally, it can also help in the fight against osteoporosis (9). Again in animal studies, resveratrol improved bone density (9). This could be really helpful for breast cancer patients who are on hormonal therapies, which can cause osteoporosis.

Dosing, interactions and side effects

As I’ve mentioned, there are issues with absorbing resveratrol. If you choose to use it, make sure you buy a micronized version.

For cancer prevention, I’d suggest using 1 g/day. Be warned that you can sometimes get some get some short-term digestive issues at this dose. Because it helps to detoxify carcinogens, it could also affect how some medications work. If you’re on any other medication, I would strongly suggest consulting a qualified professional to check whether you might be affected.

If you are looking to use it for healthy ageing, a dose of 150 – 200 mg/day should be sufficient. At this level, you shouldn’t have any side effects.

For other uses, 200 – 400 mg/day internally should be effective. To use it on your skin, you need a concentration of 1% to be effective.

I definitely think it’s worth considering.

For more information about other supplements that are helpful to cancer patients, check out my book page by clicking the Learn More button below.

References

1. Ren B, Kwah M, Liu C et al. Resveratrol for cancer therapy: Challenges and future perspectives. Cancer Lett. 2021;515:63-72. doi:10.1016/j.canlet.2021.05.001

2.   Timmers S, Konings E, Bilet L et al. Calorie Restriction-like Effects of 30 Days of Resveratrol Supplementation on Energy Metabolism and Metabolic Profile in Obese Humans. Cell Metab. 2011;14(5):612-622. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2011.10.002

3.   Chen S, Zhao X, Ran L et al. Resveratrol improves insulin resistance, glucose and lipid metabolism in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A randomized controlled trial. Digestive and Liver Disease. 2015;47(3):226-232. doi:10.1016/j.dld.2014.11.015

4.  Elgebaly A, Radwan I, AboElnas M et al. Resveratrol Supplementation in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Journal of Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases. 2017;26(1):59-67. doi:10.15403/jgld.2014.1121.261.ely

5.  Bhatt J, Thomas S, Nanjan M. Resveratrol supplementation improves glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Nutrition Research. 2012;32(7):537-541. doi:10.1016/j.nutres.2012.06.003

6.   Movahed A, Nabipour I, Lieben Louis X et al. Antihyperglycemic Effects of Short Term Resveratrol Supplementation in Type 2 Diabetic Patients. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2013;2013:1-11. doi:10.1155/2013/851267

7.   Brasnyó P, Molnár G, Mohás M et al. Resveratrol improves insulin sensitivity, reduces oxidative stress and activates the Akt pathway in type 2 diabetic patients. British Journal of Nutrition. 2011;106(3):383-389. doi:10.1017/s0007114511000316

8.   Bashmakov Y, Assaad-Khalil S, Abou Seif M et al. Resveratrol Promotes Foot Ulcer Size Reduction in Type 2 Diabetes Patients. ISRN Endocrinol. 2014;2014:1-8. doi:10.1155/2014/816307

9. Zhou D, Luo M, Huang S et al. Effects and Mechanisms of Resveratrol on Aging and Age-Related Diseases. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2021;2021:1-15. doi:10.1155/2021/9932218

10. Hecker A, Schellnegger M, Hofmann E et al. The impact of resveratrol on skin wound healing, scarring, and aging. Int Wound J. 2021;19(1):9-28. doi:10.1111/iwj.13601