Resveratrol Supplements and Diabetes
According to a new study conducted by Jill Crandall, an endocrinologist at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, intake of resveratrol supplements increases insulin sensitivity in human patients suffering from impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) - also known as “pre-diabetes.” Resveratrol is an organic polyphenolic compound found in red wine, grapes and other foods that have a number of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cardio-protective health benefits. The results of the study were presented during a meeting of the American Diabetes Association.
Insulin Sensitivity
Pre-diabetes patients taking resveratrol supplements demonstrated lower post-meal glucose levels and improved insulin sensitivity – an encouraging outcome with potential implications for those with type 2 diabetes or at high risk for the condition.
Insulin Resistance
A related study by Meredith Hawkins, M.D., from the Global Diabetes Initiative at Einstein reported on the effect of resveratrol in overweight, middle-aged subjects who were insulin resistant. As people either age or gain weight, they don’t respond to insulin as well as younger or thinner people do. Some people even reject the action of insulin- a condition known as insulin resistance- and as a result don’t burn or take in glucose competently, which can eventually result in diabetes. In her resveratrol study, Dr. Hawkins detected a 40 percent increase in insulin sensitivity, as well as improvements in mitochondrial function, concluding that resveratrol supplementation may serve as a treatment for this condition.
Resveratrol Dosage Used
Resveratrol supplements containing resveratrol quantities much higher than found in foods or wine- were given to people in this study. According to Dr. Crandall, the concentrations of Resveratrol contained in the supplements were much higher than “even several bottles of wine”.
Buccal Delivery is Key to Resveratrol Absorption and Bio-Availability
The only way to safely consume dosages of resveratrol similar to those used in clinical studies is through supplementation. Studies show that the most efficient way of consuming resveratrol supplements is by directly absorbing the substance through the inside of the mouth without swallowing. This method is known as “buccal delivery.”
When absorbed through the mouth’s epithelial tissue, resveratrol supplements avoid being directly metabolized by the intestines and liver. In human experiments, only trace amounts of resveratrol were found in plasma when taken as pills or capsules. On the other hand, buccal delivery supplementation with intraoral absorption produced up to 250 times higher levels of unchanged resveratrol in blood plasma. Resveratrol fast melting tablets from EZ MELTS are designed for buccal delivery, and provide the highest dosage of resveratrol available in an intraoral supplement in the market.
Resveratrol Increases Metabolism in Primates
A study published by BMC Physiology on June 2010 shows that Resveratrol supplements caused reduced weight gain in non-human primates (grey mouse lemurs), during their seasonal fattening period. The study was conducted by scientists from the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and the University of Strasburg in France. Resveratrol is an organic polyphenol commonly found in red wine and red grapes, and has been proven to prevent diabetes in rodents by enhancing their energy metabolism. In this latest study, however, the effects of Resveratrol on metabolism have been tested for the first time on non-human primates.
Resveratrol Dosage and Metabolic Effect
Six Lemurs were supplied with a resveratrol dosage by the researchers (200mg per day). This dosage is equivalent to the amount of resveratrol found in several bottles of red wine. This supplementation lasted throughout their winter body-mass gain period of four weeks. While the study was being conducted, the lemurs’ metabolic rate while they were at rest increased by 29%, and they consumed 13% fewer calories. The combined effect caused them to have less seasonal body-mass gain.
The study concludes that Resveratrol suppresses body mass gain in primates by increasing their metabolism and causing a reduced intake of calories.
Buccal Delivery for Improved Resveratrol Absorption
Studies show that intraoral resveratrol absorption through the buccal mucose (mouth tissue) produces the highest availability of unchanged resveratrol in plasma. When resveratrol is absorbed through the mouth tissues, without swallowing, the levels of unchanged resveratrol in blood plasma are up to 250 times higher than with an uncoated resveratrol pill.