Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. A 12-week study involving 28 obese patients showed that 6 weeks of trans-resveratrol supplementation increased arterial vasodilation by 23.6% in the trans-resveratrol group compared to 5.83% in the placebo group.
In 2008, medical costs associated with obesity approached $147 billion, with the annual cost of treating obese patients being $1,429 higher than those of normal weight (1). Obesity increases the risk for several chronic diseases, including heart disease ($108.9 billion in healthcare costs), stroke ($38.6 billion in healthcare costs (3)), and type 2 diabetes ($174 billion in healthcare costs (4)), in part by decreasing blood vessel health, primarily in the ability of blood vessels to contract (constrict) and relax (dilate) appropriately.
The decrease in blood vessel health experienced by obese people also adversely affects mental health, as blood vessels in the brain are also affected (5). As a result, improving blood vessel health in the obese may provide both physical and mental benefits.
Now a new study (5) suggests that long-term use of trans-resveratrol, the antioxidant found in grapes, may help maintain blood vessel health in obese people. Twenty-eight obese patients (12 men, 16 women, body mass index 30-45 kg/m2) with normal blood pressure participated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study for 12 weeks. They received either 75 milligrams of trans-resveratrol or placebo per day for 6 weeks, had a 1-week “washout” period, and then switched regimens.
The patients were supplied with a list of foods of which they were to consume no more than 1 serving per day due to their high polyphenol content. This allowed trans-resveratrol to be their primary source of polyphenol intake. The researchers tested blood vessel health with blood pressure and flow mediated dilation. They tested mental health with the Stroop Color-Worded Test, which involves patients’ reactions when reading words printed in different colors (7).
The researchers found that 6 weeks of trans-resveratrol supplementation led to a 23.6% increase in flow-mediated dilatation compared to the placebo group (7.21 vs. 5.83%, p = 0.021). When the researchers measured flow-mediated dilatation immediately after the patients consumed trans-reservatrol, dilatation was 35.4% higher (7.42 vs. 5.48, p = 0.002). No significant differences were found with blood pressure between the two groups or the Stroop Color-Worded Test. The researchers suggested the lack of improvement in mental acuity may have been due to an insufficient dose of polyphenols in the trans-resveratrol. Previous research using cocoa (990 mg per day for 8 weeks) led to “significantly better” performance on the Trail Making test and verbal fluency test (8).
For the researchers, “In conclusion, this study is the first to show that regular trans-resveratrol supplementation can result in a persistent elevation of arterial vasodilator function in obese but normotensive adults.”
Source: Wong, Rachel HX, et al. “Chronic resveratrol consumption improves brachial flow-mediated dilatation in healthy obese adults.” Journal of hypertension 31.9 (2013): 1819-1827.
© 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Posted July 15, 2013.
Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his website at www.PitchingDoc.com
References:
- “Adult Obesity Facts” posted on the CDC website.
- “Heart Disease Facts” posted on the CDC website.
- “Stroke Facts” posted on the CDC website.
- “2011 Diabetes Fact Sheet” posted on the CDC website.
- Silvestrini M, Pasqualetti P, Baruffaldi R, Bartolini M, Handouk Y, Matteis M, et al. Cerebrovascular reactivity and cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer disease. Stroke 2006; 37:1010–1015.
- Wong RH. Chronic resveratrol consumption improves brachial flow-mediated dilatation in healthy obese adults. J Hypertens 2013 Jun 5. [Epub ahead of print].
- De Youg R. “Using the Stroop Effect to Test Our Capacity to Direct Attention: Managing the mental vitality needed for a rapid yet civil transition to sustainable living” posted on the University of Michigan website.
- Desideri G. Benefits in cognitive function blood pressure and insulin resistance through cocoa flavanol consumption in elderly subjects with mild cognitive impairment: the Cocoa, Cognition and Aging (CoCoA) study. Hypertension 2012; 60:794–801.
