Study show that grape resveratrol supplementation can lower sugar and fat levels

Study show that grape resveratrol supplementation can lower sugar and fat levels

A recent study conducted under Prof. Patrick Schrauwen of Maastricht University in the Netherlands have found that taking resveratrol supplements, a substance found in grape skin, can lower sugar and fat levels in the blood and reduce blood pressure. The research also concluded that these resveratrol pills can also mimic effects of exercise and low-calorie diet.

The Dutch scientists gave obese men some tablets containing purified resveratrol and realised that it had some metabolic effects, the same as those from exercise and calorie restriction,
which included lowering blood pressure and blood sugar levels. The chemical is found naturally in grape skin and red wine.

Prof. Schrauwen and his fellow scientists conducted experiments of their research on 11 obese men giving them either a daily 150mg resveratrol supplement or a placebo for a month. After a month, they swapped over both groups so that those who took the supplements first time around were given placebos and vice versa.

Regular measurements of the subjects showed that resveratrol lowered blood sugar levels and improved insulin sensitivity. It also cut triglycerides – fats found in the blood that can increase heart disease risk. The study further found that resveratrol also reduced both sleeping and resting metabolic rate and cut blood pressure.

Prof. Patrick Schrauwen spoke about the findings, “The effects of resveratrol were modest but they consistently point towards beneficial metabolic adaptions. Healthy people are good at switching efficiently from using fat as an energy source to glucose in the blood when it becomes available. The results of our pilot study tended to suggest that might be part of the link to the beneficial health effects of resveratrol, but that needs further study.”

The same research was also applied on animals over the past decade which suggested that the resveratrol can slow the development of age-related diseases and increase lifespan. However, these studies are yet to be replicated in humans.

Previous research in the field has shown that calorie restriction can extend lifespan in laboratory animals. Some studies propose that it also protects from diseases like cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes but this still remains controversial. The results of the research are published in the journal Cell Metabolism.

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Posted by Zeeshan Gohar on Nov 2 2011. Filed under Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry