Metabolic effects of resveratrol: addressing the controversies

Abstract

Resveratrol, a polyphenol found in a number of plant-based foods such as red wine, has received a great deal of attention for its diverse array of healthful effects. Beneficial effects of resveratrol are diverse; they include improvement of mitochondrial function, protection against obesity and obesity-related diseases such as type-2 diabetes, suppression of inflammation and cancer cell growth and protection against cardiovascular dysfunction, just to name a few. Investigations into the metabolic effects of resveratrol are furthest along and now include a number of clinical trials, which have yielded mixed results. There are a number of controversies surrounding resveratrol that have not been resolved. Here, we will review these controversies with particular emphasis on its mechanism of metabolic action and how lessons from resveratrol may help develop therapies that harness the effects of resveratrol but without the undesirable properties of resveratrol.

Fig. 1

Schematic of the molecular targets of resveratrol related to metabolism. Resveratrol potentially activates multiple targets, converging on pathways that lead to mitochondrial biogenesis and fatty acid oxidation. In the gut (right), where resveratrol concentrations are likely higher than plasma in animals, resveratrol leads to secretion of GLP-1 and an improvement in glucose tolerance. Green and blue arrows represent activation and red bars represent inhibition