Resveratrol

• Preliminary evidencesignificant effects in small or poorly designed clinical studies OR conflicting results in adequate studies but a preponderance of evidence of an effect (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently) of higher levels of a markera chemical or substance, such as certain proteins or genetic material, that are associated with the presence of cancer or a change in status or prognosis; these markers can be detected in blood, urine, or tissue. Tumor markers are not direct measures of clinical outcomes such as survival or metastasis, and if a therapy or treatment shows an impact only on tumor markers, we cannot surmise that it will affect survival. of programmed cell death in cancerous liver tissue from people with colorectal cancer and liver metastases treated with resveratrol

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Good or modest evidence of benefit

• Modest evidencesignificant effects in at least three small but well-designed randomized controlled trials (RCTs), or one or more well-designed, mid-sized clinical studies of reasonably good quality (RCTs or observational studies), or several small studies aggregated into a meta-analysis (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently) of smaller waist circumference among people with metabolic syndromea cluster of conditions that occur together, including increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels treated with more than 500 mg resveratrol for 10 or more weeks
• Good evidencesignificant effects in one large or several mid-sized and well-designed clinical studies (randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with an appropriate placebo or other strong comparison control or observational studies that control for confounds) (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently) of lower markers of blood sugar and insulin resistancea condition in which cells in your muscles, fat, and liver don’t respond well to insulin and can’t efficiently take up glucose from your blood for energy among people with diabetes or other metabolic imbalances treated with resveratrol
• Good evidence of lower markers of inflammation among people with metabolic disorders treated with resveratrol

Preliminary evidence of benefit

• Preliminary evidencesignificant effects in small or poorly designed clinical studies OR conflicting results in adequate studies but a preponderance of evidence of an effect (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently) of lower fasting insulin and insulin resistance index among healthy postmenopausal women treated with resveratrol
• Preliminary evidence of less coagulation among people with or at high risk of cardiovascular disease treated with resveratrol
• Preliminary evidence of higher levels of adiponectina hormone and signaling protein involved in regulating glucose levels and fatty acid breakdown—which contributes to the control of glucose uptake and lipid metabolism—among people at high risk of cardiovascular disease treated with resveratrol
• Preliminary evidence of lower glucagon responses but no evidence of an effectoverall, one or more studies did not demonstrate that a treatment or intervention led to an expected outcome; this does not always mean that there is no effect in clinical practice, but that the studies may have been underpowered (too few participants) or poorly designed. Larger, well-designed studies provide more confidence in making assessments. on glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide after a meal among obese men treated with resveratrol
• Preliminary evidence of lower serum levels of androgen precursors but no evidence of an effect on testosterone, free testosterone, and dihydrotestosterone among middle-aged men with metabolic syndrome treated with resveratrol
• Preliminary evidence of altered markers of endoplasmic reticulum stress among women with polycystic ovary syndrome treated with resveratrol
• Preliminary evidence of higher levels of adiponectin—which regulates insulin sensitivity and inflammation—plus lower body mass index and waist-hip ratio among obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome treated with resveratrol and myoinositol
• Preliminary evidence of lower levels of inflammatory cytokines during treatment with high-dose melphalan after transplant among people with multiple myeloma treated with resveratrol and copper

No evidence of benefit

• No evidence of an effectoverall, one or more studies did not demonstrate that a treatment or intervention led to an expected outcome; this does not always mean that there is no effect in clinical practice, but that the studies may have been underpowered (too few participants) or poorly designed. Larger, well-designed studies provide more confidence in making assessments. on blood sugar among people treated with resveratrol in a combined analysis of studies (not specific to people with metabolic imbalances)
• No evidence of an effect on body mass index among people with polycystic ovary syndrome treated with resveratrol in a combined analysis of studies
• No evidence of an effect on a marker of inflammation among people treated with resveratrol or with higher resveratrol levels from diet in a combined analysis of studies (not specific to metabolic disorders)

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Good or modest evidence of benefit

• Modest evidencesignificant effects in at least three small but well-designed randomized controlled trials (RCTs), or one or more well-designed, mid-sized clinical studies of reasonably good quality (RCTs or observational studies), or several small studies aggregated into a meta-analysis (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently) of higher markers of bone density among people treated with resveratrol (not specific to cancer)
• Good evidencesignificant effects in one large or several mid-sized and well-designed clinical studies (randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with an appropriate placebo or other strong comparison control or observational studies that control for confounds) (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently) of lower blood pressure among people with type 2 diabetes treated with resveratrol (not specific to cancer)
• Modest evidence of markers of blood flow to the brain but insufficient (conflicting) evidencepreclinical evidence only OR clinical studies with such poor or unclear methodology that no conclusion can be drawn OR conflicting findings across clinical studies with no preponderance of evidence in one direction; conflicting evidence occurs when studies find conflicting effects (positive effect vs no effect or negative effect) with the same treatment and the same general study population (same cancer type, for example) (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently) of an effect on cognitive performance (not specific to cancer)

Preliminary evidence of benefit

• Preliminary evidencesignificant effects in small or poorly designed clinical studies OR conflicting results in adequate studies but a preponderance of evidence of an effect (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently) of more favorable red blood cell deformability after a heart attack (post-infarction) among Caucasians treated with resveratrol (not specific to cancer)
• Preliminary evidence of higher flow-mediated dilatation of the brachial artery—a biomarker of endothelial function and cardiovascular health—among overweight/obese men or postmenopausal women with untreated borderline hypertension treated with resveratrol (not specific to cancer)
• Preliminary evidence of less hair loss among women with polycystic ovary syndrome treated with resveratrol (not specific to cancer)
• Preliminary evidence of lower composite pain scores, especially among overweight women, among healthy postmenopausal women treated with resveratrol (not specific to cancer)

No evidence of benefit

• No evidence of an effectoverall, one or more studies did not demonstrate that a treatment or intervention led to an expected outcome; this does not always mean that there is no effect in clinical practice, but that the studies may have been underpowered (too few participants) or poorly designed. Larger, well-designed studies provide more confidence in making assessments. on systolic and diastolic blood pressure among people treated with resveratrol in a combined analysis of studies (not specific to cancer or metabolic disorders)
• No evidence of an effect on measures of hormonal migraine headaches among people with hormonal migraines treated with resveratrol in a small study (not specific to cancer)

See How can resveratrol help you? What the research says ›

• No evidence of an effectoverall, one or more studies did not demonstrate that a treatment or intervention led to an expected outcome; this does not always mean that there is no effect in clinical practice, but that the studies may have been underpowered (too few participants) or poorly designed. Larger, well-designed studies provide more confidence in making assessments. on risk of cancer as a whole among people without cancer at baseline with the highest levels of urinary resveratrol from diet in a mid-sized study
• Preliminary evidencesignificant effects in small or poorly designed clinical studies OR conflicting results in adequate studies but a preponderance of evidence of an effect (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently) of one lower markera chemical or substance, such as certain proteins or genetic material, that are associated with the presence of cancer or a change in status or prognosis; these markers can be detected in blood, urine, or tissue. Tumor markers are not direct measures of clinical outcomes such as survival or metastasis, and if a therapy or treatment shows an impact only on tumor markers, we cannot surmise that it will affect survival. of cancer development but no evidence of an effect on other markers among women at increased breast cancer risk treated with trans-resveratrol
• Preliminary evidence of lower vascular endothelial growth factora substance made by cells, including cancer cells, that stimulates new blood vessel formation (VEGF) and hypoxia-inducible factor-1a substance made by cells, including cancer cells, that stimulates new blood vessel formation (HIF1), which promote development of the blood supply for tumors, among people with polycystic ovary syndrome or lymphangioleiomyomatosis treated with resveratrol
• No evidence of an effect on prostate size or circulating levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) among middle-aged men with metabolic syndromea cluster of conditions that occur together, including increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels treated with resveratrol

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• Used in several (at least 4) of our program sources
• Not mentioned in integrative cancer clinical practice guidelines

See How do experts use resveratrol? ›

• Generally well tolerated, although high doses can cause mild to severe side effects
• May inhibit enzymes that are necessary to metabolize some drugs and so may interact with the function and safety of those drugs
• Should not be used in conjunction with a few prescription drugs

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• Widely available without a prescription at drug stores and online retailers
• Low cost (under $500 US/year)

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