Study: Resveratrol a smoker’s best friend?
The research, published in the journal Current Medicinal Chemistry, suggests that resveratrol’s anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and hypotriglyceridemic effects could mean that supplementation of the polyphenol may be beneficial in tackling the cardiovascular risks of otherwise healthy smokers.
The study found that resveratrol (Transmax from Biotivia) significantly reduced C-reactive protein (CRP), the protein found in the blood which rises in response to inflammation, and triglyceride concentrations, a type of fat found in the blood, as well as increased Total Antioxidant Status values.
The Italian researchers say this is the first look at resveratrol’s potential effect on smokers to date.
A question of dosage?
25 of the 50 participants took 500mg of resveratrol per day for 30 days followed by 30 days of no supplementation and then a further 30 days of placebos. The remaining 25 participants started with the 30 placebo days and finished with the resveratrol.
A 50% reduction in the CRP concentration was recorded after one month of resveratrol supplementation. The researchers noted that this rate was superior to the 26% reduction rate recorded in a previous study which looked at the effect of an 8 mg supplementation trial over a period of one year.
“Therefore it could be hypothesised that resveratrol has a dose dependent ability to decrease the levels of stimulatory cytokines which affect the release of CRP from the liver,” the researchers wrote.
They said that resveratrol also helps counteract the oxidative stress of smoking by reducing free radical damage in airway cells.
Additionally, it was hypothesised that the supplement releases fat from peripheral depots to be metabolised by muscles. This significant reduction of triglyceride has led the effects of resveratrol to be likened to that of endurance training, according to the study.
Where there’s smoke there’s… heart disease
All of the 50 adult smokers involved were aged 20-50 and smoked at least 5 cigarettes a day, with a history of smoking more than 20 packs a year as well as consuming an average of 30g of alcohol per day. The participants were established as otherwise healthy by ruling out complicating factors like cardiovascular disease, impaired renal function and hypertension. They were not taking any other medication or supplements at the time of the trial.
The study did not record any changes to the weight, waste circumference, blood pressure or other metabolic variables of the participants.
The researchers recommended further resveratrol research be conducted with smokers with a chronic inflammatory condition like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Source: Current Medicinal Chemistry
Vol. 20, Iss. 10, pp. 1323-31, doi: 10.2174/0929867311320100009
“Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of resveratrol in healthy smokers a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial”
Authors: S. Bo, G. Ciccone, A. Castiglione, R. Gambino, F. De Michieli, P.Villois, M.Durazzo, P. Cavallo-Perin, and M. Cassader
