Effects of Resveratrol Supplements on Vascular Health in Postmenopausal Women

Clinical Trial Summary

The investigators hope to learn if resveratrol supplementation can be beneficial for the cardiovascular system. Seeing that resveratrol is rapidly metabolized, the investigators are interested in learning if a novel form of resveratrol, ResA, which is a mixture of resveratrol with amino acid, may have greater bioavailability and lead to greater improvement in vascular function, compared to standard resveratrol supplement.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. To reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its associated health care costs, nutrition and health recommendations strongly advocate the consumption of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. In addition to essential vitamins and minerals, fruits and vegetables contain a number of bioactive compounds that may be involved in vascular function.

The "French Paradox" refers to diet patterns that, despite being high in saturated fat, are associated with a relatively low cardiovascular risk. An important aspect of many of the diets that were identified in the French Paradox studies is a significant intake of wine, particularly red wine, which can contain an array of phytochemicals that have been postulated to improve cardiovascular health. A polyphenolic that has received particular attention is this regard is resveratrol.

The stilbene resveratrol is found predominately in red grapes, red wine, peanuts and some berries, and it has been touted in the popular press for its potential health-promoting benefits. Emerging evidence suggests a role for resveratrol in the protection against numerous degenerative health problems including CVD and certain cancers, diabetes and some forms of neurodegeneration.

The amount of resveratrol in most foods is very low; thus obtaining the amounts of this compound that have been associated with improved health in animal models is difficult for humans. ResA is a product produced using patented technology that physically binds resveratrol to arginine, creating a novel conjugate. In the preliminary studies the ResA conjugate produced higher peak plasma levels, as well as total plasma levels that persist for a longer period of time when fed to rats. Whether similar results would occur in humans, and the extent to which increasing blood resveratrol concentration can be associated with positive cardiovascular effects in an at-risk population is the subject of this project. ;

Study Design

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Cardiovascular Disease
• Cardiovascular Diseases