Back again. This time Lin asked me to research resveratrol. Back to the trusty web and clinical trials.gov!
My first search for resveratrol and AMD turned up one citation. There is a phase 1 – safety and tolerability – study being conducted in France. Resveratrol for Exudative Age-Related Macular Degeneration is not due to be completed until summer, 2019. We will have to wait for that one.
So back to clinical trials.gov for resveratrol alone. That search yielded
148 studies. We are talking about a pretty wide range. They are studying everything from obesity to COPD to endometriosis. I will admit I only read a few dozen titles but none of those had to do with eyes.
Next came a general search and I actually hit something! The only problem was these studies never got into human trials.
Retinal Effects of Resveratrol in US Ophthalmic Review, 2013, reported resveratrol prevented activation of inflammation pathways and was a potent scavenger of reactive oxygen species and free radicals. It reduced angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels) in a MOUSE MODEL.
There were three or four others I found that had gotten promising results for angiogenesis. They were all mouse models.
The bottom line on that part of my search is this: unless you are a mouse, the results do not apply to you.
What I found sort of odd was these promising, preclinical trials were done around 2010. With a rather cursory search, I did not find any replication studies and nothing got into clinical – human – trials. Or at least I did not find any.
So what is resveratrol? Once again we are looking at red, blue and purple fruit. Resveratrol is a naturally occurring plant polyphenol and is primarily found in grapes. It is the principal, biologically active ingredient in red wine. Now we are talking! The article, Resveratrol and Ophthalmological Disease published in Nutrients 2016, goes on to talk about how resveratrol has been found to be protective and to have “anti-aging effects”.
Wonder how much red wine would one have to drink for the anti-aging effects? ?
Anyway, somewhat long article so I concentrated on the section on Age-Related Macular Degeneration. The article quoted promising results found in vitro. That means in glass, meaning a sample dish, not real, human eyes. The authors admitted there is limited evidence for the antioxidative effects in vivo, that is in life.
One more time, caveat emptor. A Nature.com review of all of the potential uses of resveratrol suggested the supplement’s therapeutic efficacy varies across a variety of factors. For example, it may help with some cancers but not others. It may help with cardiovascular disorders in some demographics but not others. There wasn’t enough objective data on AMD for it to even make the list!
To conclude, while there is evidence resveratrol – like other substances in red, blue and purple fruits – has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, there are currently NO, that is NO research data substantiating claims it is helpful in reducing the formation of new blood vessels in eyes. Unless, of course, you are a mouse. There is no information saying conclusively how much you must take to support eye health. As with everything medical, we recommend you consult your doctor before trying any intervention
Written October 17th, 2018
** Always talk to your doctor before you take ANY supplements ESPECIALLY if you are taking medications including other supplements, and you have health issues. If you have low blood sugar or are taking blood thinning medications, read the entire page, please. Self-treating any eye condition and avoiding or delaying standard care may have serious consequences.
Concerns
There are side effects and medication interactions for resveratrol including it being something that thins the blood. For a complete list of concerns, side effects and drug interactions, click here.