Resveratrol, an antioxidant phenol compound, is produced by plants to ward off pathogens. Considerable scientific research has shown that resveratrol may also provide health benefits for menopausal women. Resveratrol is found in more than 70 species of plants, most notably red grapes. Peanuts, mulberries, blueberries and cranberries are also good sources. Consult with a qualified health-care provider before using resveratrol for menopause.
Cholesterol
Resveratrol lowers cholesterol in menopausal women, according to a study published in the August 2005 "Journal of Nutrition." In the study, pre- and post-menopausal women took grape extract, containing polyphenol antioxidants, including flavans, anthocyanins, quercetin, myricetin, kaempferol and resveratrol for four weeks. The women's triglyceride levels decreased by 6 percent in the post-menopausal women. The antioxidants did not decrease levels of oxidized lipids. However, overall oxidative stress throughout the body was decreased, as was a major pro-inflammatory molecule. The researchers concluded that resveratrol, along with other key antioxidants in grape extract, had a beneficial effect on cardiovascular risk factors in these women.
Antioxidant
A study published in the November 2001 journal "Menopause" compared the effects of resveratrol, vitamin E and hormone replacement therapy on oxidation of LDL cholesterol and found that, while all compounds tested were effective at decreasing oxidized LDL, estrogen was approximately three times more effective than resveratrol and twice as effective as vitamin E. The researchers concluded that each of the compounds tested in the study affected LDL oxidation differently, and that part of estrogen's beneficial effects may be due to an antioxidant activity on LDL cholesterol.
Estrogenic Effects
Resveratrol exerts estrogenic effects, according to one study. The researchers evaluated groups of people who consume resveratrol and compared their observations with information on the effects of phytoestrogens. Resveratrol has a similar structure to estrogen, say the researchers. Resveratrol also produces similar protective effects on female reproduction, osteoporosis and cancer to those of estrogen and phytoestrogens. The study was published in the 1999 issue of the journal "Drugs Under Experimental and Clinical Research."
Skin Changes
Menopause-related skin changes respond well to supplementation with resveratrol, say researchers of a study published in the June 2010 journal "Minerva Gynecologica." In the tissue culture study, scientists added resveratrol to skin cells and observed increased synthesis of collagen -- an important protein in the production of skin -- and decreased activity of enzymes that break down collagen. The researchers concluded that resveratrol has a high safety profile compared to hormone replacement therapy and may be helpful in staving off menopause-related aging effects of skin.
References
- "Journal of Nutrition"; Grape polyphenols exert a cardioprotective effect in pre- and postmenopausal women by lowering plasma lipids and reducing oxidative stress. Zern TL, et al.; 2005
- "Menopause"; Comparison of the antioxidant effects of equine estrogens, red wine components, vitamin E, and probucol on low-density lipoprotein oxidation in postmenopausal women. Bhavnani BR, et al.; 2001
- "Drugs Under Experimental and Clinical Research"; Nonalcoholic compounds of wine: the phytoestrogen resveratrol and moderate red wine consumption during menopause. Calabrese G. et al.; 1999
- "Minerva Ginecologica"; [Efficacy study in vitro: assessment of the properties of resveratrol and resveratrol + N-acetyl-cysteine on proliferation and inhibition of collagen activity]. [Article in Italian] Giardina S, et al.; 2010
