Danish Researchers to Use Resveratrol in Long-Term Human Clinical Trial

The effects to be measured include low-grade inflammation that is often associated with type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and osteoporosis.

2/2/2011 --- The Danish Council for Strategic Research has granted $3.4 million for a four year study to investigate resveratrol on the management of metabolic syndrome, osteoporosis and chronic inflammation. This landmark study is to demonstratively prove that supplemental intake of resveratrol can neutralize the detrimental effects of excess body weight; specifically obesity. The effects to be measured include low-grade inflammation that is often associated with type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and osteoporosis.

Resveratrol is a naturally occurring substance found in many foods including peanuts, pomegranates and grapes. Low amounts of resveratrol found in natural sources are concentrated in red wine. Considerable attention has been given to overweight red wine drinkers, such as those from France, having over a 40% reduction in heart disease consuming red wine at a moderate two glass a day level.

"It is gratifying that research organizations such as The Danish Council for Strategic Research have recognized that certain nutrients have health benefits above and beyond basic nutrition and further the understanding by financially supporting research to prove their value. These benefits, unlike many drugs, do not have adverse effects," states Dr. Herb Woolf, President of Fluxome, Inc. whose company is providing the resveratrol for this study. "The purity of resveratrol in this study is comparable to drug quality," he further explained. "This will be the longest duration clinical study ever conducted on resveratrol."

A key feature of this study is the measurement of several biomarkers along with continued assessment of the overall health of the subjects throughout the several year investigations. Dr. Woolf believes that studies evaluating specific nutrients for improvement of health are best when biological markers can be identified in the blood or urine that have a validated relationship with a disease state. "Clinical studies evaluating nutrient intake over long periods are fraught with inconsistency because of lack of compliance of the subjects. Validated biomarkers will give reliable indicators for the subjects so they will know they are on the right track for good health," he adds.

"There are nutritional surprises all around us if we can only understand the clues they leave," concluded Dr. Woolf. “Fish oil, vitamin D, turmeric and now resveratrol, to name a few, are being rediscovered for their untapped health benefits."