Resveratrol is a natural antioxidant compound found in grape skins and other foods and widely available as a supplement. It is linked to body terrainthe internal conditions of your body, including nutritional status, fitness, blood sugar balance, hormone balance, inflammation and more that is less favorable to cancer growth and spread.
How do experts use resveratrol?
Integrative experts provide recommendations for resveratrol in treating people with cancer. Learn more about the approaches and meanings of recommendations ›
Published protocols, programs, and approaches
These protocolsa package of therapies combining and preferably integrating various therapies and practices into a cohesive design for care, programs, and approaches by leaders in integrative cancer care use or recommend resveratrol.
We do not recommend specific integrative protocols or programs but provide information for you to evaluate with your healthcare team.
Lise Alschuler, ND, FABNO, and Karolyn Gazella
Alschuler LN, Gazella KA. The Definitive Guide to Cancer, 3rd Edition: An Integrative Approach to Prevention, Treatment, and Healing. Berkeley, California: Celestial Arts. 2010.
Alschuler LN, Gazella KA. The Definitive Guide to Thriving after Cancer: A Five-Step Integrative Plan to Reduce the Risk of Recurrence and Build Lifelong Health. Berkeley, California: Ten Speed Press. 2013.
These books describe approaches for certain cancer types, or along with certain conventional therapy treatments, or for particular conditions such as insulin resistance.
Keith Block, MD
Block KI. Life over Cancer: The Block Center Program for Integrative Cancer Care. New York: Bantam Dell. 2009.
The integrative Block Program has recommendations to people who are at different places along the cancer continuum:
- Those who’ve been recently diagnosed
- Those in treatment
- Those who’ve concluded treatment and need to remain vigilant to prevent recurrence
Gerald M. Lemole, MD; Pallav K. Mehta, MD; and Dwight L. McKee, MD
Lemole GM, Mehta PK, McKee DL. After Cancer Care: The Definitive Self-Care Guide to Getting and Staying Well for Patients with Cancer. New York, New York: Rodale, Inc. 2015.
These doctors present easy-to-incorporate lifestyle changes to help you “turn on” hundreds of genes that fight cancer, and “turn off” the ones that encourage cancer, while recommending lifestyle approaches to address each type.
Uses of resveratrol:
- Breast cancer
- Colorectal cancer
- Lung cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Lymphoma
- Melanoma
Neil McKinney, BSc, ND
McKinney N. Naturopathic Oncology, Fourth Edition. Victoria, BC, Canada: Liaison Press. 2020.
This book includes descriptions and uses of many natural and complementary protocols for cancer in general and for specific cancers. It also includes information on integrative support during conventional cancer treatment.
Uses of resveratrol for anti-cancer activities:
- Protectant/healer of radiation therapy injury
- Stem cell modulation
- Promote apoptosis
- Activate mitochondria
- NF kappa B inhibitor
- COX 2 inhibitor
- Immune modulation
- EGF and EGFR Inhibitor
- Anti-angiogenic
- Anti metastatic
- PTK signal inhibitors
- MMP Inhibitor
- Collagenase inhibitor
- TGFBeta inhibitor
- BCL-2 inhibitor
- TNF inhibitor
- Hormone modulation
- Anti-coagulant
- PTEN Progrector (tumor suppressor gene)
Uses of resveratrol for specific cancer protocols:
- Brain cancer (glioma)
- Breast cancer
- Colorectal cancer
- Leukemia
- Lung cancer
- Lymphoma
- Melanoma
- Multiple myeloma
- Myelodysplastic syndrome
- Ovarian cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Stomach cancer
- Thyroid cancer
Cautions:
- Don’t mix with taxanes, as it may reduce their efficacy
- Don’t mix with n-acetyl-cysteine
Part of the Jonathan Treasure Protocol, which includes curcumin, green tea EGCG, grapeseed oligomeric proanthocyanidins, resveratrol, licorice, rosemary, and ginger.
Nasha Winters ND, FABNO, LAc, DiplOM, and Jess Higgins Kelley, MNT
Winters ND, Kelley JH. The Metabolic Approach to Cancer. 2017. Chelsea Green Publishing.
This book’s metabolic approach to cancer is a “naturopathic nutrition program that uses the medicinal powers of traditional foods, therapeutic diets and non-toxic lifestyle approaches as cancer counteragents and preventives.“ The program focuses on 10 terrain elements and how to assess them and bring them into balance.
Uses of resveratrol:
- Antioxidant/anti-inflammatory (from organic red wine)
- Activate CYP1A1 gene involved in detoxification and metabolism of estrogen (from food)
- Activate adaptive stress response (food such as red grapes and pistachios)
Other expert assessments
Donald Abrams and Andrew Weil
Resveratrol is listed as an agent that reduces cancer risk (chemopreventive) and is reviewed for use in prostate cancer in chapter 22.
Moss Reports
The Moss Reports conclude that resveratrol has anticancer properties.
Dosing
Dosage has not been standardized for use in cancer care.
General information about dosing
Find general dosing guidelines regarding natural products and supplements in Dosing Guidelines ›