Resveratrol May Improve Metabolic Markers

Previous studies have identified a diverse range of health benefits of resveratrol, an anti-oxidant compound found abundantly in red wine, which is reported to confer anti-cancer effects, anti-inflammatory effects, cardiovascular benefits, anti-diabetes potential, energy endurance enhancement, and protection against Alzheimer’s Disease.  Jen Olholm, from Aarhus University (Denmark), and colleagues studied the effects in vitro of resveratrol on adipokines from human fat cells, and secretion in human fat tissue. When the researchers exposed human fat cells to interleukin 1beta (IL-1B), a type of adipcytokine, they noticed an increase in the secretion of pro-inflammatory compounds. However, when the cells were simultaneously exposed to resveratrol, a 16 to 36% reduction in the expression of these cytokines was observed. Writing that: “This study is the first to show anti-inflammatory effects of [resveratrol] on adipokine expression and secretion in human adipose tissue in vitro through the SIRT1 pathway,” the researchers suggest that: “[Resveratrol] is hypothesized to possess beneficial effects and might improve the metabolic profile in human obesity.”