Resveratrol Helps Diabetes Drugs Do Their Work
Diabetes is way too common. Around 9.6% of Canadians and 11.6% of Americans have diabetes. In the United States, that number balloons to 14.7% for American adults and 29.2% for those over 65. A natural product known as resveratrol has been shown to help diabetes. This new study shows that it can also help when you are already taking diabetes drugs.
Resveratrol is a plant compound similar to flavonoids. It is found primarily in the skin of grapes and mulberries as well as in dark chocolate and peanuts. Resveratrol in supplements usually comes from the herb Japanese knotweed.
In 2021, a meta-analysis of 15 controlled studies of type 2 diabetics showed that resveratrol safely and significantly lowers insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and HbA1c. That resveratrol lowers HbA1c is an important finding because HbA1c is the most important marker of long term blood sugar and diabetes control. The results also showed that resveratrol significantly lowers fasting glucose and fasting insulin (Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2021 Aug 24;2021:5644171).
Now, a new study adds a new twist to the benefits of resveratrol: it even helps when you are already on diabetes medications.
The new study of 91 type 2 diabetics added 200mg or a placebo to their diabetes drug, which included metformin, vildagliptin, glimerpiride, gliclazide, and glibenclamide.
At the end of the 24 week study, there was significantly greater improvement in fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, fasting insulin, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) as well as in markers of inflammation and free radical damage.
As in the previous meta-analysis, resveratrol accomplished its benefits safely: there were no significant adverse effects.
Complement Ther Med. June 2022;66:102819.
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