Resveratrol, an antioxidant found in red wine, chocolate and other foods, has gained wide public attention as a cancer and heart disease preventive.
Now a new study suggests its reputation may not be deserved.
Most conclusions about resveratrol have been drawn from animal and laboratory studies, with some preliminary evidence that it has anti-inflammatory effects in humans. For this new study, researchers measured resveratrol levels in a random sample of 783 people over 65, then followed them for nine years. The study was published online in JAMA Internal Medicine.
The 268 people who died during the study were more likely to be smokers and physically inactive, and to have higher blood pressure and higher blood indicators of inflammation. But after adjustment for these and other factors, there was no association of resveratrol levels with markers of inflammation, coronary artery disease, cancer or death by any cause. The authors acknowledge that an effect might be detected with a larger sample.
“Resveratrol level as achieved by diet alone is not associated with any protective effect,” said the lead author, Dr. Richard D. Semba, a professor of ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins. “There are supplementation trials, but those results are inconclusive.”
Should people drink wine and eat chocolate to prevent heart disease? No, Dr. Semba said. “I think people should eat those things because they enjoy them.”