If you are taking medications, especially statins, antiarrhythmic drugs, or antihistamines, consult your doctor before supplementing with resveratrol, as it may inhibit drug metabolism enzymes (cytochrome P450) and increase drug toxicity.
Exercise caution with resveratrol supplementation for periods longer than one year, as long-term toxicology studies in humans have not yet been performed.
While resveratrol doses up to 5 grams daily are generally not toxic, be aware that doses above 2.5 grams may cause mild to moderate gastrointestinal distress like nausea, gas, abdominal discomfort, and diarrhea.
Avoid high-dose supplemental direct antioxidants like vitamin C and E when exercising, as they have been shown to blunt beneficial exercise-induced cardiorespiratory adaptations.
Consider resveratrol as a preventative supplement due to its potential to activate cellular protective mechanisms and act as a calorie restriction mimetic.
To maintain its efficacy, protect trans-resveratrol supplements from light, as exposure converts it to the less active cis form.
To maximize bioavailability, consider taking resveratrol in the morning, as its metabolism varies in a circadian fashion with higher bioavailability occurring then.
Increase resveratrol’s bioavailability by taking it with food, specifically a moderate fat breakfast, rather than a very high fat breakfast.
Consider taking resveratrol with piperine (found in black pepper) to potentially enhance its efficacy, as a study showed it improved cerebral blood flow despite not improving bioavailability in humans.
Do not rely on red wine for therapeutic doses of resveratrol, as a typical glass contains only 1.8 milligrams, far below the 100 milligrams to 1 gram range found in studies.
If using resveratrol with exercise, be aware that low doses (150-250 mg/day) may blunt exercise adaptations, while higher doses (500 mg/day) have shown positive effects on mitochondrial density, muscle fibers, and maximal oxygen consumption.
If you have type 2 diabetes, consider a resveratrol treatment of one gram per day, as studies showed it significantly reduces blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, and circulating insulin, while increasing HDL levels.
If you have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, taking a resveratrol supplement of 300 or 500 milligrams per day for 3 months may decrease LDL, liver fat, and inflammatory markers, while increasing insulin sensitivity.
For obese individuals, 150 milligrams of resveratrol daily for 30 days may promote caloric restriction-like effects, leading to reduced blood pressure and improved blood glucose, insulin, and triglyceride levels.
Healthy adults aged 50 to 75 years old may improve their ability to complete memory tasks by taking 200 milligrams of resveratrol daily for 26 weeks.
For patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, resveratrol treatment starting at 500 milligrams once daily and escalating to 1000 milligrams twice daily showed improvements in mental examination status, amyloid beta levels, and neuroinflammation markers; this should be done under medical supervision.
Healthy individuals may consider resveratrol at doses of one gram or 2.5 grams to potentially prevent cancer by reducing IGF-1 and increasing carcinogen detoxifying enzymes.
If taking statins, supplementing with a 350 milligram resveratrol-enriched grape extract daily for 6 months may decrease cardiovascular risk markers like LDL, oxidized LDL, and apolipoprotein B.
For individuals who have experienced a heart attack, a very low dose of 10 milligrams of resveratrol every day for three months may decrease LDL and improve left ventricle diastolic and endothelial function.
Healthy individuals may consider a six-week course of Japanese knotweed extract containing 40 milligrams of resveratrol to lower reactive oxygen species and suppress pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Men with prostate cancer should be aware that one gram of resveratrol per day for four months was found to lower serum levels of androgen precursors like DHEA, though its clinical relevance is difficult to ascertain.
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