Research review
Resveratrol: what the research does and doesn't show
A map of the resveratrol research by outcome, from nearly 200 clinical studies, with the reviews and trials that anchor each one.
The research does not show that resveratrol has an established benefit for healthy adults at any dose. Almost 200 clinical studies exist, so this page maps them at the level of reviews and key trials, by outcome. Where meta-analyses found something, it was small, in specific groups, and sometimes contradicted by another review of the same question.
What the evidence doesn't support
It does not support a single effective dose: trials ranged from 10 mg to 5 g a day, and a 2024 review of the whole field found no consensus regimen for any use (PMID 38255828). It does not support carrying a result from people who already had diabetes or extra weight over to healthy adults. It does not support the lab-based idea that resveratrol reaches the body in large amounts: in one study, almost none of an oral dose stayed in the blood as the unchanged compound. And it does not support what a particular capsule does, because most trials used a different dose or form. The narrative on the main trials is on resveratrol benefits: what the research does and doesn't show; weight and women have their own pages. This is the map.
What the trials found
We searched PubMed on 2 October 2026 and read every abstract below. With nearly 200 studies, a table of every trial would be unreadable, so each outcome is represented by its most recent or largest review, plus the individual trials that anchor it. "Certainty" is our own rating, for the question "did resveratrol change this in this group".
| Study | Population | Dose and form | Duration | Result | Certainty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The whole field | |||||
| PMID 41987155 (2026) | Umbrella review of 45 meta-analyses | Varied | Varied | Only 4 of 35 significant findings were high-certainty: waist circumference (-0.8 cm), total cholesterol in overweight adults, and blood pressure in type 2 diabetes | The widest overview; dose and form not broken down |
| PMID 38255828 (2024) | Nearly 200 trials, at least 24 uses | Purified resveratrol; well tolerated up to 1 g a day | 20 years | No consensus regimen for any use; the authors say large, high-quality trials are still needed | Descriptive |
| Weight and body size (see the weight page) | |||||
| PMID 30515938 (2019) | 28 trials in adults | Varied | Varied | About 0.5 kg lower weight and 0.8 cm smaller waist; no change in fat mass | Low: small, heterogeneous |
| PMID 33487308 (2021) | 19 studies in adults | Varied | Varied | No effect on weight or BMI; a small effect on waist; the authors conclude no anti-obesity effect | Low; contradicts the review above |
| Blood sugar | |||||
| PMID 24695890 (2014) | 11 trials, 388 people | Varied | Varied | Changes in glucose, insulin and HbA1c measures in people with diabetes; none in people without it | Moderate for the split |
| PMID 31978258 (2020) | Cochrane review: 3 trials, 50 adults with type 2 diabetes | 10, 150 or 1,000 mg a day | 4-5 weeks | No long-term outcomes reported; no adverse events observed (very low certainty) | Very low |
| Cholesterol and blood pressure | |||||
| PMID 29305228 (2018) | 21 trials in adults | Varied | Varied | No change in total, LDL or HDL cholesterol | Low: very high heterogeneity |
| PMID 29359958 (2019) | 17 trials in adults | Subgroup 300 mg a day or more | Varied | No overall change in blood pressure; subgroups at 300 mg or more and in diabetes differed | Low |
| Inflammation markers and the liver | |||||
| PMID 30017172 (2018) | 17 trials, 736 people | Varied | Varied | Lower TNF-alpha and hs-CRP; no change in IL-6 | Low: high heterogeneity |
| PMID 28338115 (2017) | 4 trials, 158 people with fatty liver | Varied | Varied | No change in liver enzymes or weight versus control | Low |
| PMID 32869460 (2021) | 15 trials, 714 people | Varied | Varied | No change in ALT, AST, GGT, ALP or bilirubin | Low |
| Bone, memory and postmenopausal women (see the women page) | |||||
| PMID 31490554 (2019) | 6 trials, 264 people | Varied | Varied | No change in most bone markers; alkaline phosphatase markers rose | Low |
| PMID 24899709 (2014) | 46 healthy overweight adults aged 50-75 | 200 mg a day | 26 weeks | One word-memory score better than placebo (p = 0.038); lower body fat | Low: small, one score |
| PMID 40771919 (2025) | 10 trials, 928 postmenopausal women | Varied | Varied | Lower pain scores and a bone-resorption marker; no effect on cognition, mood, glucose, lipids, blood pressure or sleep | Low |
| Individual trials in people with extra weight or metabolic syndrome | |||||
| PMID 23193181 (2013) | 24 obese men | "High dose" (mg not in the abstract) | 4 weeks | No change in insulin sensitivity, blood pressure, energy use or fat | Low: small |
| PMID 32492138 (2020) | 41 overweight adults | 150 mg a day | 6 months | Insulin sensitivity and body composition unchanged; HbA1c slightly lower | Moderate for a null primary result |
| PMID 28182820 (2017) | 74 men with metabolic syndrome | 150 mg or 1,000 mg a day | 16 weeks | No improvement in inflammation, glucose, pressure or liver fat; 1,000 mg raised LDL cholesterol | Moderate for a null result |
| PMID 23102619 (2012) | Nonobese postmenopausal women with normal glucose tolerance | 75 mg a day | 12 weeks | No change in body composition, lipids, inflammation or insulin sensitivity | Moderate for a null result |
| Immune and inflammatory response | |||||
| PMID 27552061 (2016) | 10 healthy volunteers | 5 g, single dose | Hours | A tryptophan-metabolism marker shifted; the immune-activation marker neopterin did not change | Very low: enzyme marker only |
| PMID 24035785 (2014) | 10 healthy volunteers plus immune cells in a dish | 5 g, single dose | 48 hours | Blood TNF-alpha was higher at 24 hours, which the authors call pro-inflammatory | Very low |
| PMID 25147765 (2014) | 7 male marathon runners | 600 mg a day | 7 days | No difference in white cell count, CRP or muscle soreness; too small | Very low |
| Absorption and safety | |||||
| PMID 15333514 (2004) | 6 healthy volunteers | 25 mg, single dose | One dose | At least 70% absorbed, but only trace amounts of unchanged resveratrol stayed in plasma | Small but clear |
| PMID 20935227 (2010) | 40 healthy volunteers | 0.5, 1, 2.5 or 5 g a day | 29 days | Called safe, but 2.5 and 5 g caused mild to moderate gastrointestinal symptoms | Moderate for the dose-related gut effect |
| PMID 25115686 (2014) | 40 postmenopausal women with BMI 25 or more | 1 g a day | 12 weeks | Diarrhea in 30%; 6 withdrew for adverse events; one grade 4 liver enzyme rise | Low: no placebo group |
| PMID 20716633 (2010) | 42 healthy volunteers | 1 g a day | 4 weeks | Changed activity of several enzymes that process many medicines | Moderate: a reason to ask a pharmacist |
| PMID 38433010 (2024) | 10 trials in older adults | Varied | Varied | Mixed benefits; higher cardiovascular risk markers at high doses in one group; no significant adverse events reported | Low |
| PMID 32197410 (2020) | Literature review | Varied | Varied | Toxicity data are limited; long-term and interaction data are lacking | Not a trial |
Where the evidence is, and isn't
The evidence is deepest on blood-sugar and weight measures and shallowest on safety over the long term. Most trials were short, in people with extra weight, diabetes or menopause, and many were small. Null results (75 mg in lean women, 150 mg for 6 months, 1,000 mg for 16 weeks) sit next to small positive ones, which is why no review can name a dose that works. Whether the form matters is covered in resveratrol dosage and what is resveratrol.
Questions people ask
Can resveratrol cause diarrhea, and why?
At high doses, yes in the trials we read: 2.5 g and 5 g a day caused mild to moderate gastrointestinal symptoms in 40 healthy volunteers, and 30% of 40 postmenopausal women taking 1 g a day reported diarrhea, in a study with no placebo group (PMID 20935227, PMID 25115686). The abstracts do not explain why, so we do not give a reason. See resveratrol side effects.
Can resveratrol cause constipation, headaches, muscle pain or weight gain, and can it help with constipation?
None of the abstracts we read names constipation, headaches or muscle pain as an adverse effect, so we cannot give a frequency for any of them. A 7-runner trial measured muscle soreness after a marathon and found no difference from placebo (PMID 25147765). No trial tested it for constipation. For weight, reviews found small average decreases, not gains (PMID 30515938).
Is resveratrol safe during pregnancy or breastfeeding, and what about skincare containing it?
We found no trial of resveratrol, taken by mouth or applied to skin, in pregnancy or breastfeeding, so no safety statement is possible and this page gives no guidance. One retrospective study of IVF cycles found fewer clinical pregnancies and more miscarriages among women taking 200 mg a day (PMID 31160243); it shows association, not cause. Ask a doctor before using any resveratrol product, including skincare, if you are pregnant, nursing or trying to conceive.
Does resveratrol support immune health, for example at 300 mg?
We found no trial that measured infections or immune defence at 300 mg or any other dose. The immune-marker studies were 5 g single doses in 10 volunteers, with a shifted enzyme marker and higher blood TNF-alpha, which the authors called pro-inflammatory, and a 7-runner trial that found no difference (table above).
When to talk to a doctor
Resveratrol is a dietary supplement, not a treatment for diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, fatty liver or any other condition. If you have one of them, take regular medication or are pregnant or nursing, talk to your doctor before adding it, and do not change prescribed treatment because of this page. Interactions are covered at resveratrol and medications.
Sources
- Resveratrol for the Management of Human Health: How Far Have We Come? A Systematic Review of Resveratrol Clinical Trials to Highlight Gaps and Opportunities A 2024 review counted almost 200 clinical studies of resveratrol across 24 uses and found no consensus regimen for any; well tolerated up to 1 g a day.
- Effects of resveratrol supplementation on multiple health outcomes: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials A 2026 review of 45 meta-analyses found high-certainty effects for only four outcomes, three of them in specific groups (overweight adults, people with type 2 diabetes).
- Resveratrol supplementation significantly influences obesity measures: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Across 28 trials, resveratrol was associated with about 0.5 kg lower body weight and 0.8 cm smaller waist, with no change in fat mass.
- What is the effect of resveratrol on obesity? A systematic review and meta-analysis A review of 19 studies found no overall effect on weight or BMI, a small effect on waist, and concluded no anti-obesity effect.
- Effect of resveratrol on glucose control and insulin sensitivity: a meta-analysis of 11 randomized controlled trials Across 11 trials, resveratrol changed blood-sugar measures in people with diabetes but not in people without it.
- Resveratrol for adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus A Cochrane review found only three small trials (50 adults, 4-5 weeks) of resveratrol in type 2 diabetes and no long-term outcomes.
- Effect of resveratrol on lipid profile: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis on randomized clinical trials Across 21 trials, resveratrol did not change total, LDL or HDL cholesterol.
- Effect of resveratrol on blood pressure: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized, controlled, clinical trials Across 17 trials, resveratrol did not significantly change blood pressure overall; subgroups at 300 mg/day or more and in diabetes differed.
- Effect of Resveratrol Supplementation on Inflammatory Markers: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials Across 17 trials, resveratrol was associated with lower TNF-alpha and hs-CRP but not IL-6.
- Resveratrol Supplementation in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis In 4 trials (158 people) with fatty liver, resveratrol did not change liver enzymes or weight versus control.
- Effects of resveratrol supplementation on liver enzymes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials Across 15 trials, resveratrol did not change liver enzyme levels.
- Effects of resveratrol supplementation on bone biomarkers: a systematic review and meta-analysis Across 6 trials, resveratrol did not change most bone markers but raised alkaline phosphatase markers.
- Effects of resveratrol on memory performance, hippocampal functional connectivity, and glucose metabolism in healthy older adults In 46 overweight adults aged 50 to 75, 200 mg a day for 26 weeks was followed by a modest gain on one word-memory score versus placebo.
- Effects of resveratrol on postmenopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis Across 10 trials in 928 postmenopausal women, resveratrol was associated with lower pain scores and a lower bone-resorption marker, and nothing else measured.
- High-dose resveratrol supplementation in obese men: an investigator-initiated, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial of substrate metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and body composition In 24 obese men, a high dose of resveratrol for 4 weeks changed none of the measured outcomes versus placebo.
- No effect of resveratrol supplementation after 6 months on insulin sensitivity in overweight adults: a randomized trial In 41 overweight adults, 150 mg a day for 6 months did not change insulin sensitivity or body composition; HbA1c was slightly lower.
- No Beneficial Effects of Resveratrol on the Metabolic Syndrome: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial In 66 men with metabolic syndrome, 150 mg or 1,000 mg a day for 16 weeks did not improve body composition or other measures, and 1,000 mg raised LDL cholesterol.
- Resveratrol supplementation does not improve metabolic function in nonobese women with normal glucose tolerance In nonobese postmenopausal women, 75 mg a day for 12 weeks changed none of the measured outcomes versus placebo.
- Resveratrol intake enhances indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase activity in humans In 8 volunteers given 5 g of resveratrol, a tryptophan-metabolism marker shifted; no immune outcome was measured.
- Resveratrol enhances TNF-α production in human monocytes upon bacterial stimulation In 10 volunteers given 5 g, blood TNF-alpha rose 24 hours later, which the authors called a pro-inflammatory property.
- Resveratrol exerts no effect on inflammatory response and delayed onset muscle soreness after a marathon in male athletes.: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot feasibility study In 7 marathon runners, 600 mg a day for 7 days did not change blood inflammation markers or muscle soreness; the trial was too small.
- High absorption but very low bioavailability of oral resveratrol in humans Most of a 25 mg dose was absorbed, but almost none stayed in the blood as plain resveratrol; it was converted to other compounds.
- Repeat dose study of the cancer chemopreventive agent resveratrol in healthy volunteers: safety, pharmacokinetics, and effect on the insulin-like growth factor axis In 40 healthy adults, 0.5 to 5 g a day for 29 days was called safe, but the two highest doses caused mild to moderate stomach and gut symptoms.
- A pilot clinical study of resveratrol in postmenopausal women with high body mass index: effects on systemic sex steroid hormones In 40 overweight postmenopausal women, 1 g a day for 12 weeks did not change blood estradiol; diarrhea affected 30%, and six women withdrew for adverse events.
- Resveratrol modulates drug- and carcinogen-metabolizing enzymes in a healthy volunteer study In 42 healthy adults, 1,000 mg a day for 4 weeks changed how several liver enzymes that process medicines were working.
- Effects and safety of resveratrol supplementation in older adults: A comprehensive systematic review A review of 10 trials in older adults found mixed results, higher cardiovascular risk markers at high doses in one group, and no significant adverse events.
- Potential Adverse Effects of Resveratrol: A Literature Review A 2020 review says toxicity data on resveratrol are limited and long-term and interaction data are lacking.
- Influence of resveratrol supplementation on IVF-embryo transfer cycle outcomes In a retrospective study of IVF cycles, women taking 200 mg a day of resveratrol had lower pregnancy rates and more miscarriages; it shows association, not cause.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.