Tier 2 — strong

Calorie restriction-like effects of 30 days of resveratrol supplementation on energy metabolism and metabolic profile in obese humans

Timmers S, Konings E, Bilet L, Houtkooper RH, van de Weijer T, Goossens GH, Hoeks J, van der Krieken S, Ryu D, Kersten S, Moonen-Kornips E, Hesselink MKC, Kunz I, Schrauwen-Hinderling VB, Blaak E, Auwerx J, Schrauwen P
Cell Metabolism 2011 14(5):612-622

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 22055504
PubMed Central
PMC3880862
DOI
10.1016/j.cmet.2011.10.002
Funding
Top Institute Food and Nutrition (TIFN), a Dutch public-private research consortium; not stated as directly industry-sponsored by a resveratrol supplement maker.
Competing interests
Not stated as a specific conflict in the abstract.

Study snapshot

DesignRandomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial
ModelHuman — healthy, obese men
Sample11
Intervention150 mg/day oral resveratrol (resVida) vs placebo, 30 days
Duration30 days
EndpointsSleeping and resting metabolic rate; Muscle AMPK activation, SIRT1 and PGC-1alpha protein levels; Muscle mitochondrial respiration; Intramyocellular and intrahepatic lipid content; Circulating glucose, triglycerides, ALT, inflammation markers; Blood pressure; HOMA insulin-sensitivity index

What the study showed, in plain terms

This small trial gave 11 obese men a modest 150 mg/day dose of resveratrol for 30 days and found genuine improvements: better muscle mitochondrial function, lower blood sugar and fat markers, reduced inflammation, and lower blood pressure — changes that resembled the effects of calorie restriction, without the men actually eating less.

Key findings

Resveratrol significantly reduced sleeping and resting metabolic rate, activated AMPK, increased SIRT1 and PGC-1alpha protein levels, and improved muscle mitochondrial respiration on a fatty-acid substrate. It elevated intramyocellular lipid while decreasing intrahepatic lipid, circulating glucose, triglycerides, ALT, and inflammation markers. Systolic blood pressure dropped and the HOMA insulin-sensitivity index improved.

What this study can and cannot tell us

Very small sample (n=11), short duration (30 days), and a modest dose (150 mg/day) relative to some other trials. A genuinely positive result, but one small trial — it has not been consistently replicated at this scale, and a separate, larger trial using a higher dose (Poulsen 2013) found no significant effects at all.

Citation network

Articles citing this research paper

1 article

Biohack Blueprint analyses that reference this study in their evidence base.

Editorial review

Reviewed by the Biohack Blueprint research team

Last verified

Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability