Safety and metabolic outcomes of resveratrol supplementation in older adults: results of a twelve-week, placebo-controlled pilot study

Resveratrol has been found to have potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticarcinogenic effects. The safety and efficacy of resveratrol supplementation in older adults are currently unknown. We conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial to examine the safety and metabolic outcomes in 32 overweight, older adults (mean age, 73 ± 7 years). Participants were randomized into one of three treatment groups: (1) placebo, (2) moderate dose resveratrol (300 mg/day), and (3) high dose resveratrol (1000 mg/day). Both resveratrol and placebo were orally ingested in capsule form twice daily for 90 days. Blood chemistry values remained within the normal range, and there were no significant differences in the number of participants reporting adverse events across conditions. Compared to placebo, glucose levels were significantly lower at post-treatment among participants randomized to both resveratrol conditions, with and without adjustment for the corresponding baseline values (ps < 0.05). Glucose values of participants in the treatment groups, however, were not significantly different from baseline levels. These findings suggest that short-term resveratrol supplementation at doses of 300 mg/day and 1000 mg/day does not adversely affect blood chemistries and is well tolerated in overweight, older individuals. These findings support the study of resveratrol for improving cardio-metabolic health in older adults in larger clinical trials.