Promising Results of First-Ever Human Clinical Trial of a Resveratrol Supplement’s Impact on Pre-diabetes.

Pilot Study using Biotivia’s Transmax Resveratrol Being Presented at American Diabetes Association’s Annual Scientific Meeting May Lead to More Definitive Studies.

(Orlando, FL) – Investigators from Albert Einstein College of Medicine’s Diabetes Clinical Trials Unit today presented the results of a promising study on the effect of regular consumption of a resveratrol supplement and the health of patients with Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT), also called “pre-diabetes”.  The pilot study, titled “Resveratrol Improves Glucose Metabolism in Older Adults with IGT”, involved a small group of older adults who were given the resveratrol supplement Transmax, produced by nutraceutical company Biotivia LLC, on a daily basis over the course of four weeks.

Results of the study of 10 individuals show that at moderate doses, Transmax resveratrol improved insulin resistance and lowered post-meal glucose levels in patients with IGT, a promising result for people with type 2 diabetes or at high risk for this condition. These results were considered sufficiently important for presentation to researchers assembled at the American Diabetes Association’s Annual Scientific Meeting this weekend.

The resveratrol supplement used in the study, Transmax, is produced by Biotivia LLC of New York, a manufacturer of resveratrol-based health supplements.  Another study recently completed at Northumbria University in the United Kingdom also used a Biotivia resveratrol supplement to investigate brain blood flow and cognition after resveratrol consumption. That study found that resveratrol increased the volume of circulation to the cerebrum by as much as 200%.

As the focus of intense media and consumer interest for the past year, resveratrol has been featured by the media on shows such as 60 Minutes, as well as in Time Magazine and other leading national and international publications.  Many scientists studying this compound believe that daily consumption of a quality resveratrol supplement such as the one used in this clinical trial may provide benefits that include anti-inflammation, cardiovascular protection and improved physical and cognitive health.

The Albert Einstein trial appears to confirm resveratrol’s potential role as a beneficial modulator of insulin sensitivity, a key component of Type 2 diabetes.

“The results of this pilot study are preliminary and need to be confirmed in larger numbers of patients,” said Jill Crandall, M.D., Associate Professor of clinical medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and lead investigator of the study. “However, we are encouraged by these findings and plan to conduct additional studies to further explore the potential utility of resveratrol in improving glucose metabolism.”

Resveratrol has been tested in relation to diabetes before, but only in animal subjects or on cell lines.  Those studies have repeatedly shown promising effects on insulin secretion, insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance, leading to the initiation of this first-of-its-kind pilot clinical study on humans.  

“We find these results to be extremely encouraging but not at all surprising,” said Biotivia CEO and founder James Betz. “This human clinical trial confirms the insights gleaned from a substantial number of earlier in vitro and animal studies which have clearly elucidated the various biokinetic pathways and modalities via which resveratrol operates in animals. We have had good reason to believe for some time now that resveratrol has the potential to ameliorate or prevent many of the adverse health conditions associated with aging and various adverse contemporary environmental and life style factors.”

The study’s findings are bolstered by the results of several other resveratrol clinical trials to be presented at the ADA’s 70th Annual Meeting.

More information on Transmax and Biotivia are available at www.biotivia.com.