Supplements of red wine antioxidant don't help obese men

Supplements of red wine antioxidant don't help obese men
Study should put claims of health benefits to rest, experts say.

(HealthDay)—Despite showing early promise in some animal studies, supplements of resveratrol, an antioxidant found aplenty in red wine, did not improve insulin sensitivity or heart health in obese men, a small trial found.

Researchers found no difference in insulin sensitivity—the measure of how well the body uses the —in 24 obese but otherwise healthy men who took daily 1,500-milligram doses of resveratrol compared to other men who took an inactive placebo for four weeks.

Nor were there any changes in other signs of , including blood pressure, levels of called triglycerides and other fats.

The study, led by Dr. Morten Poulsen at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark, appears online Nov. 28 in the journal Diabetes.

Dr. Vivian Fonseca, president of medicine and science for the , said he is not surprised that the study did not show any benefits associated with the resveratrol supplements.

"People who drink red wine and do so in moderation may have that may allow them to live longer and decrease their , but putting it into a pill doesn't solve the problem for people who live unhealthy lives, like the men in the study," Fonseca said. "I think some of the initial animal studies on resveratrol were hyped far more than they should have been and this study should put all of that to rest."

Dr. John Buse, a professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, agreed. "It is nice to see the lack of efficacy so elegantly demonstrated," he said. "There cannot be much question remaining at this point."

People at risk for diabetes can take , he noted. "The most important thing is to be screened for diabetes if you are at risk," Buse said. This includes everyone older than 45 and younger people who are overweight.

"To reduce the risk of diabetes, reduce calorie intake with an aim to reduce weight by 5 to 10 percent and increase physical activity to at least 30 minutes at least five days a week," Buse advised. "That reduces diabetes risk by about 60 percent over three years."

For her part, Dr. Tara Narula, associate director of cardiac care at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said, "People are always looking for a one-stop, easy cure-all supplement or quick fix, but the things that work require work."

While these supplements may not stack up, moderate alcohol consumption may have some health benefit, Narula said. "If you are going to drink, red wine is the one that I recommend because there is a potential benefit from compounds in the wine itself," she added.

That's good advice, said Dr. Howard Weintraub, a cardiologist at NYU Langone Medical Center. "There are benefits within the wine that extend beyond the resveratrol, and part of it may be because alcohol helps improve good cholesterol," he said. "If you enjoy , a glass or two a day may be beneficial." But, he cautioned, just because a glass or two can be good for you doesn't mean that more is better.

More information: Concerned about your risk for diabetes? Get the facts on prevention at the American Diabetes Association.

Journal information: Diabetes

Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Citation: Supplements of red wine antioxidant don't help obese men (2012, November 28) retrieved 19 March 2024 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-supplements-red-wine-antioxidant-dont.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Explore further

Resveratrol falls short in health benefits

 shares

Feedback to editors