Resveratrol May Help Manage Blood Sugar, Study Says

A new study in Nutrition Research shows resveratrol supplementation may help diabetes patients manage their blood sugar. The study "Resveratrol supplementation improves glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus" was published online in July 2012.

Researchers studied 62 subjects with type 2 diabetes for the three-month, open-label, controlled study. The patients received 250 mg/day of resveratrol in addition to their standard diabetic medication. The control group only took their original diabetic medication.

 At the end of three months, the patients who took the resveratrol supplements had significant improvements in blood sugar control as seen in improved hemoglobin A1c levels," said Heather Hausenblas, Ph.D., director of the Exercise Psychology Laboratory, University of Florida. In addition, the resveratrol group showed improvements in total cholesterol, total proteins, and systolic blood pressure compared to the control group."

Resveratrol has also been linked to reducing colitis, enhancing memory and preventing liver disease in alcoholics.