Resveratrol

What is resveratrol?

Resveratrol is a polyphenol produced by plants in response to stress, injury or fungal infection. It is found in grape skins, red wine, peanuts, blueberries and Japanese knotweed, which is the most common commercial source. Resveratrol became famous in the early 2000s when lab and animal studies linked it to the same cellular pathways (sirtuins) involved in the effects of calorie restriction, fueling interest in it as an anti-aging compound.

In people, resveratrol is rapidly absorbed but also rapidly broken down, so blood levels of the free compound stay low. That has made it difficult to translate impressive lab results into human benefits.

What the research says

For brain health, the best summary we found is a 2018 systematic review and meta-analysis in Nutrition Reviews of randomized controlled trials in healthy adults and clinical groups. Of ten studies, three found that resveratrol improved some measures of cognitive performance, two reported mixed findings and five found no effect. When the data were pooled, resveratrol showed a small benefit for delayed recognition memory and for negative mood, each based on only three studies and about 165 participants. The included studies were generally of reasonable quality, but the overall picture is that resveratrol might improve select measures of cognition and mood, not cognition broadly.

We found no research on resveratrol for balance or dizziness. We rate the evidence as limited for brain health.

How it’s used in supplements

Resveratrol is sold in capsules, often labeled as trans-resveratrol, at doses from about 100 mg to more than 1,000 mg. Cognition trials have used a range of doses. The amount in a glass of red wine is very small by comparison.

Resveratrol is generally well tolerated at moderate doses, but higher doses can cause nausea, diarrhea and stomach discomfort. Lab research suggests it may slow blood clotting and affect liver enzymes that process medications, so people taking blood thinners, antiplatelet drugs or other prescription medicines should check with a doctor first. Because resveratrol has weak estrogen-like activity in lab studies, people with hormone-sensitive conditions are often advised to be cautious. Safety in pregnancy is not established.

In Claritox Pro, resveratrol is listed without an amount, so we cannot say whether it reaches the doses used in cognition trials. Even at those doses, the expected effect is small.

If brain health is your goal, the habits with the strongest support remain regular physical activity, good sleep, managing blood pressure and staying socially and mentally engaged. Resveratrol, at best, is a minor addition to those foundations.