Science Update

Polyphenol helps improve bone density in men with metabolic syndrome

Resveratrol a powerful polyphenol found in found in berries nuts the skin of red grapes and red wine has been shown to increase spinal bone density in men with metabolic syndrome according to a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Resveratrol has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and has been found to exhibit bone-protective effects in animal studies. In this new study researchers investigated if resveratrol could help men with metabolic syndrome since this condition is associated with low-grade inflammation that can lead to bone loss. Metabolic syndrome is a group of several risk factors that increase the risk of developing heart disease stroke and diabetes. These factors include abdominal obesity reduced HDLs and elevated triglycerides blood pressure and blood glucose.

This recent study is the first to show resveratrols potential for increasing bone density in humans with results indicating that the polyphenol works by stimulating bone-forming cells. This randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled study assessed bone mineral density along with bone formation and resorption in 66 middle-aged men with metabolic syndrome. For a 16-week period the men took either 500 mg of resveratrol 75 mg of resveratrol or a placebo two times a day.

In only four months the men who took 500 mg of resveratrol had a significant improvement (2.6 % increase) in lumbar spine bone mineral density compared to men who had taken the placebo. The high resveratrol group also had a 16% increase in the bone formation marker bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP) compared to the control group. The findings in this study are positive ones that could be promising for combatting osteoporosis.

Source:

J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014 Oct 16:jc20142799. [Epub ahead of print] Resveratrol Increases Bone Mineral Density and Bone Alkaline Phosphatase in Obese Men: A RandomizedPlacebo-Controlled Trial