Red wine ingredient improves metabolisms in obese men

Washington, Nov 2 (ANI): Taking a relatively small dose of resveratrol - a natural compound best known as an ingredient in red wine - in purified form daily for a month was found to improve metabolisms in obese men, according to a new study.

In fact, the effects appear to be as good for us as severe calorie restriction.

"We saw a lot of small effects, but consistently pointing in a good direction of improved metabolic health," said Patrick Schrauwen of Maastricht University in The Netherlands.

In the study, the researchers gave 11 obese but otherwise healthy men a dietary supplement containing 150 milligrams of a 99 percent pure trans-resveratrol (trade name resVida) for 30 days while they measured the amount of energy they expended, the amount of fat they were storing and burning, and more.

The data showed that, like calorie restriction, resveratrol supplements lower energy expenditure and improve measures of metabolism and overall health.

Those changes include a lower metabolic rate, less fat in the liver, lower blood sugar levels and a drop in blood pressure.

Trial participants also experienced changes in the way their muscles burned fat.

The findings appeared in the November issue of the Cell Press journal Cell Metabolism. (ANI)