# Resveratrol supplements

Source: https://onco.cc/technologies/resveratrol-supplements/  
OnCo record `resveratrol-supplements` (Technology). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Resveratrol, found in red grape skins, is sold as an anti-ageing and anti-cancer supplement because it lengthened the life of yeast cells. That has never been shown in people. A trial of a high-dose form in myeloma was stopped because of serious side effects including kidney failure, and it has oestrogen-like effects that are a concern in hormone-sensitive cancers.

## Summary

Memorial Sloan Kettering's About Herbs entry describes resveratrol as a polyphenol marketed for anti-ageing on the strength of yeast lifespan studies, an effect not demonstrated in humans. Trials in people show no benefit on cognition, cardiovascular risk factors, insulin sensitivity or all-cause mortality in older adults, and a Cochrane review found insufficient evidence in diabetes. Laboratory work suggests antiproliferative, radiomodulating and chemotherapy-potentiating effects, but data in cancer patients are limited to phase 1 pilot studies in colorectal cancer. A study of a high-dose micronised formulation in multiple myeloma was stopped because of serious adverse events including renal failure. At concentrations similar to those needed for its other effects, resveratrol activates oestrogen and androgen receptor transcription and can stimulate cancer cell proliferation, so MSK advises caution in hormone-sensitive cancers. At 1 g a day for four weeks it inhibited CYP3A4, 2D6 and 2C9 and induced 1A2 in healthy volunteers, which can change levels of many drugs, including oral cancer drugs; it also inhibits platelet aggregation. High doses of 2.5 to 5 g a day cause diarrhoea.

## Fields

- Kind: Technology
- Status: negative
- Last checked: 2026-11-04
- Also known as: Resveratrol; trans-resveratrol; Polygonum cuspidatum extract
- Tags: complementary; supportive-care; evidence:harm
- Principle: A sirtuin-activating and antioxidant polyphenol in laboratory models; poorly bioavailable, with oestrogen-receptor activity at achievable concentrations.
- Strengths: Well characterised in early human studies
- Limitations: High-dose myeloma study stopped for kidney failure; Oestrogen-like activity in hormone-sensitive cancers; Inhibits several drug-metabolising enzymes

## Sources

- MSK About Herbs: Resveratrol (page last updated 17 February 2023): https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/resveratrol

## Connected records

- technologies: [Dietary supplements during cancer treatment: interactions and harms](https://onco.cc/technologies/dietary-supplements-treatment-interactions/), [Evidence-based integrative oncology](https://onco.cc/technologies/integrative-oncology/), [Green tea and EGCG extracts](https://onco.cc/technologies/green-tea-egcg/), [Indole-3-carbinol (I3C)](https://onco.cc/technologies/indole-3-carbinol/), [Quercetin supplements](https://onco.cc/technologies/quercetin-supplements/)
- cancers: [Multiple myeloma](https://onco.cc/cancers/multiple-myeloma/)
- fronts: [Diet, Exercise & Lifestyle](https://onco.cc/fronts/nutrition-lifestyle/), [Recovery & Rejuvenation](https://onco.cc/fronts/rejuvenation/), [Supportive Care & Survivorship](https://onco.cc/fronts/supportive-care/)
- terms: [Unproven diet claims (alkaline, juice, 'anti-cancer' diets)](https://onco.cc/terms/unproven-diet-claims/)
- bottlenecks: [Misinformation and unproven therapies](https://onco.cc/bottlenecks/b-misinformation/), [Toxicity and quality of life are undervalued](https://onco.cc/bottlenecks/b-toxicity-qol/)

---
JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/resveratrol-supplements.json