Not for longevity, as far as human evidence shows. Resveratrol is a plant compound found in grape skins and red wine that seemed to activate sirtuins, proteins linked to longevity, and extended life in yeast and some other animals. But the human results disappointed: GlaxoSmithKline, which bought the leading resveratrol company for $720 million, stopped its resveratrol drug after kidney problems appeared in a cancer trial and closed the unit in 2013. And in older Italians, those with the most resveratrol in their bodies didn't live longer. Your body also breaks it down very quickly.
- SymptomHoping to slow aging with a pill
- Before thatActivate sirtuins, the cell's maintenance proteins
- Before thatClaimed: resveratrol switches sirtuins on
- RootThe mechanism and human benefit both proved shaky
The rise
In 2003, researchers reported that resveratrol, a compound plants make to protect themselves from stress and found in grape skins, extended the lifespan of yeast by switching on sirtuins, a family of proteins that help cells handle stress and repair. Later studies found benefits in worms, flies and mice fed high-calorie diets.
It fit a beautiful story: the "French paradox" of wine-drinking French people with relatively low heart disease, explained by a single molecule. Sirtris Pharmaceuticals was founded to turn it into a drug, and in 2008 GlaxoSmithKline bought the company for $720 million.
The fall
Then reality set in:
- The drug trial stopped. In 2010, GSK halted a trial of its resveratrol formulation, SRT501, in patients with a blood cancer after several developed kidney failure, and announced no further plans to develop it. In 2013, it closed Sirtris as a separate unit.
- The mechanism was questioned. Other scientists reported that resveratrol's apparent activation of sirtuins in lab tests depended partly on the artificial chemicals used in the experiments.
- The human data didn't show longevity. In a study of 783 older adults in Italy's Chianti region, people with the highest resveratrol levels from their diet were no less likely to die, and no less likely to have heart disease, cancer or inflammation, than those with the lowest.[1]
- It barely survives your body. Resveratrol is absorbed but rapidly broken down by the gut and liver, so very little reaches the bloodstream in its original form.
Resveratrol activates your longevity genes and slows aging.
It extended life in yeast and some animals. In humans, there's no evidence it extends life, and the main drug program was abandoned.
The lesson for every longevity supplement
Resveratrol is the template that many newer supplements still follow: an exciting result in simple organisms, a compelling mechanism, a big headline, and a market that moves faster than human trials. That's exactly why we follow every claim upstream and ask: has it worked in humans, in a fair test? Compare it with taurine, a newer molecule now going through a similar reality check.
The bottom line
Resveratrol isn't dangerous at normal doses, but there's no good human evidence that it slows aging, and the company that bet $720 million on it walked away. If you want to support the same sirtuin pathway, exercise and a healthy diet remain the best-supported routes. For the honest ranking of what does have evidence, see the best supplements for longevity, graded.
Frequently asked questions
Is resveratrol from red wine good for you?
A glass of red wine contains only tiny amounts of resveratrol, far below the doses used in studies, and the alcohol itself carries health risks. Drinking wine for resveratrol doesn't make sense.
Is resveratrol safe?
Supplement doses have generally been well tolerated in short studies, though high doses can cause stomach upset. It can interact with blood thinners and some other medications. Talk to your doctor first.
Does resveratrol activate sirtuins?
That was the original claim, but later research suggested the early lab results were partly an artifact of how the experiments were set up. Whether resveratrol meaningfully activates sirtuins in the human body is still debated.
Is there anything better than resveratrol for sirtuins?
NAD⁺, the fuel sirtuins need, is now the more popular target, through NMN and NR. But those also lack proof of longevity benefits in humans.
Sources
- Semba RD, et al. Resveratrol levels and all-cause mortality in older community-dwelling adults. JAMA Internal Medicine, 2014.