Not a good news for the resveratrol supplement. Moderate doses provided no benefits while high doses increased bad cholesterol and fructosamine, a marker of blood glucose levels. This was a randomized controlled trial in middle aged men with metabolic syndrome and obesity, BMI 34. Participants were followed for 4 months.
GT
J C E M
Randomized Trial
May 2017
Context: Low-grade inflammation is associated with obesity and the metabolic syndrome (MetS). Preclinical evidence suggests that resveratrol (RSV) has beneficial metabolic and anti-inflammatory effects that could have therapeutic implications.
Objective: To investigate effects of long-term RSV treatment on inflammation and MetS.
Setting and Design: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel group clinical trial conducted at Aarhus University Hospital.
Participants: Middle-aged community-dwelling men (N = 74) with metabolic syndrome, 66 of whom completed all visits: average age 50; BMI 34; waist circumference 115
Intervention: Daily oral supplementation with 1,000 mg RSV (RSV high), 150 mg RSV, or placebo for 16 weeks.
Main outcome measures: Plasma levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), circulating lipids, and inflammatory markers in circulation and adipose/muscle tissue biopsy specimens; glucose metabolism; and body composition including visceral fat and ectopic fat deposition.
Results:
RSV treatment did not lower circulating levels of hs-CRP, interleukin 6, or soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor in plasma, and inflammatory gene expression in adipose and muscle tissues also remained unchanged.
RSV treatment had no effect on blood pressure, body composition, and lipid deposition in the liver or striated muscle.
RSV treatment had no beneficial effect on glucose or lipid metabolism.
RSV-high treatment significantly increased total cholesterol (P < 0.002), LDL (P < 0.006), and fructosamine (P < 0.013) levels compared with placebo.
Conclusion:
RSV treatment did not improve inflammatory status, glucose homeostasis, blood pressure, or hepatic lipid content in middle-aged men with MetS.
On the contrary, RSV-high significantly increased total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and fructosamine levels compared with placebo.
