Resveratrol is also found in red wine, dark chocolate and red grapes.
While resveratrol can not be immediately recommended as per the findings of the research, the research did show some very intricate and interesting results, says R. Scott Turner, M.D., Ph.D. of Georgetown University Medical Center’s Memory Disorders Program director and the lead researcher of the study.
Even for the relatively small number of participants in the study, the researchers did see indication that resveratrol could improve cognition. The highest dose of resveratrol tested was one gram by mouth twice daily – equivalent to the amount found in about 1,000 bottles of red wine. “There could be 500 milligrams, which is what they advertise [researchers gave participants in the study four 500 milligram pills a day] or there could be zero”, he said.
In those who took a placebo, on the other hand, the levels of Abeta40 decreased, lower than their levels measured at the beginning of the experiment. The latest study, however, indicates that resveratrol may be beneficial to patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s. “It does appear that resveratrol was able to penetrate the blood brain barrier, which is an important observation”. Resveratrol intake was linked to level of amyloid-beta40 levels in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid.
The researchers studied resveratrol because it activates proteins called sirtuins, the same proteins activated by caloric restriction.
In earlier research, resveratrol has also been the subject of research indicating its efficacy against illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, as well as protection against Alzheimer’s.
The researchers found that resveratrol and its major metabolites were measurable in plasma and CSF. The most common side effects experienced by participants were gastrointestinal-related, including nausea and diarrhea.
The current study used high doses of resveratrol to increase the chances that enough of the compound got into the brain to have an effect.
One outcome in particular was confounding, Turner notes.
Given the lack of regulation in the health supplement industry, available supplements are unlikely to have the same protective effect for now – but it’s all the more reason to stock up on foods that are high in resveratrol.
“We’re not sure how to interpret this finding”. A working hypothesis is that the treatments may reduce inflammation (or brain swelling) found with Alzheimer’s. None possessed any clinical symptoms or family history of Alzheimer’s, nor did they carry genes that predisposed them to Alzheimer’s or any other neurodegenerative diseases. GUMC was one of 21 participating medical centers across the U.S.
The main goal of the current study, which included 119 patients, was to find out whether high doses of resveratrol could be safe.