WU researchers study substance in red wine In the lab
They want to know if resveratrol has the same effect as a low calorie diet.
St. Louis Post Dispatch
June 25, 2009
By Gail Appleson
Wouldn't it be wonderful if there was a substance you could take to be young and trim and that the key ingredient existed in red wine and chocolate?
If you follow Dr. Mehmet Oz, author and frequent guest on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," you've heard such a product exists and it contains something called resveratrol.
There's been a lot of hype about resveratrol, a naturally occurring antioxidant in red grapes, cacao and a variety of plants. Much of this buzz stems from tests on animals, particularly those on obese mice. Promising results have shown that high dosages of resveratrol might combat heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other diseases of aging.
However, there hasn't been much testing on humans. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine are among those working to see if taking resveratrol will produce the same effect as a low calorie diet in a small group of patients. Calorie restriction has been linked to health benefits and an extended lifespan.
If the study shows promising results, a larger trial will follow.
The product being tested is called resVida®, which was developed by DSM Nutritional Products. DSM supplies ingredients to food, beverage and dietary supplement manufacturers.
Since resVida® is considered a dietary supplement, it is not an approved drug by the Food and Drug Administration. Instead, it's regulated like a food and makers of resVida don't claim it's meant to treat ailments.
Resveratrol has been associated with increasing lifespan in mice on a high calorie diet and improved metabolic profile and activity levels. However, the effect of this small molecule in humans is unknown.
The Washington University study is designed to compare the health benefits of resveratrol and calorie restriction, about 30 percent fewer calories than the American Dietetic Association recommends.
Separately, Washington U. has been studying the benefits of calorie restriction for several years. As part of its work, medical school researchers examined heart function in members of an organization called the Calorie Restriction Society and found that their hearts functioned like the hearts of much younger people. The researchers reported their findings in the Jan. 17, 2006 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
"Calorie restriction has metabolic benefits," said Dr. Samuel Klein, chief researcher for the Washington University resveratrol trial.
The study started in January and involves three groups of subjects. One group will take resveratrol in pill form, one will take a placebo and the third group will be on a diet that cuts calories by 30 percent.
Researchers hope to have about 15 volunteers in each group. Subjects will stay on their regimens for 12 weeks and one downside to the study is that volunteers can't drink any wine for that period of time.
Those taking the resveratol will be getting 75 mg per day.
Giving up wine for 12 weeks wouldn't have the same effect anyway, according to Klein.
"They would need to drink 500 bottles of wine per day to get the same amount," he said.
