Can resveratrol improve cholesterol? It can if you take enough, as this new study found out.
Resveratrol is a polyphenol similar to flavonoids. It is found primarily in the skin of grapes and mulberries as well as in dark chocolate, raspberries, blueberries and peanuts. Resveratrol in supplements usually comes from the herb Japanese knotweed.
This meta-analysis of 17 controlled studies, which included 968 people, found that resveratrol significantly reduces total cholesterol, heart harmful LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
An analysis of the effect on LDL cholesterol found that the benefit kicked in at a dose of 500mg a day or more and in studies that lasted 12 weeks or more. Resveratrol had a stronger effect on reducing LDL cholesterol in people with type 2 diabetes.
Nutrients. September 2022;14(18):3755.