Diets
rich in antioxidant resveratrol fail to reduce deaths, heart disease or cancer
A study of Italians who
consume a diet rich in resveratrol -- the compound found in red wine, dark
chocolate and berries -- finds they live no longer than and are just as likely
to develop cardiovascular disease or cancer as those who eat or drink smaller
amounts of the antioxidant.
Despite the negative
results, Semba says, studies have shown that consumption of red wine, dark
chocolate and berries does reduce inflammation in some people and still appears
to protect the heart. "It's just that the benefits, if they are there,
must come from other polyphenols or substances found in those foodstuffs,"
he says. "These are complex foods, and all we really know from our study
is that the benefits are probably not due to resveratrol."
The new study did not
include people taking resveratrol supplements, though few studies thus far have
found benefits associated with them.
Semba is part of an
international team of researchers that for 15 years has studied the effects of
aging in a group of people who live in the Chianti region of Italy. For the
current study, the researchers analyzed 24 hours of urine samples from 783
people over the age of 65 for metabolites of resveratrol.
After accounting for
such factors as age and gender, the people with the highest concentration of
resveratrol metabolites were no less likely to have died of any cause than
those with no resveratrol found in their urine. The concentration of resveratrol
was not associated with inflammatory markers, cardiovascular disease or cancer
rates.
Semba and his
colleagues used advanced mass spectrometry to analyze the urine samples.
The study participants
make up a random group of people living in Tuscany where supplement use is
uncommon and consumption of red wine -- a specialty of the region -- is the
norm. The study participants were not on any prescribed diet.
Resveratrol is also
found in relatively large amounts in grapes, peanuts and certain Asiatic plant
roots. Excitement over its health benefits followed studies documenting
anti-inflammatory effects in lower organisms and increased lifespan in mice fed
a high-calorie diet rich in the compound.
The so-called
"French paradox," in which a low incidence of coronary heart disease
occurs in the presence of a high dietary intake of cholesterol and saturated
fat in France, has been attributed to the regular consumption of resveratrol
and other polyphenols found in red wine.
Story Source:
The above story is
based on materials provided
by Johns Hopkins
Medicine. Note:
Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal
Reference:
1.
Richard D. Semba, Luigi Ferrucci, Benedetta Bartali, Mireia
Urpí-Sarda, Raul Zamora-Ros, Kai Sun, Antonio Cherubini, Stefania Bandinelli,
Cristina Andres-Lacueva. Resveratrol
Levels and All-Cause Mortality in Older Community-Dwelling Adults. JAMA Internal Medicine, 2014;
DOI:10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.1582
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Johns Hopkins Medicine.
"Diets rich in antioxidant resveratrol fail to reduce deaths, heart
disease or cancer." Science Daily,
12 May 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140512214128.htm>.