Resveratrol has captured attention as an ingredient that may help support healthy ageing. Find out what it is and what it could do for you
🕒 8 min read
Looking for ways to add more healthy years to your life? One ingredient that regularly crops up everywhere from scientific journals, books, articles to the far reaches of the internet is resveratrol, a naturally occurring plant compound, found in grapes, red wine, peanuts, blueberries and other foods.1
Scientists’ interest in resveratrol’s potential role in healthy ageing was first piqued when it was discovered that it could extend lifespan in yeast2, worms3, fruit flies and turquoise killifish.4 Subsequent research found it extended the health and survival of mice fed a high fat diet.5 Since then numerous studies have explored whether it might help support healthy human ageing too.6
Here’s what is known so far.
What is resveratrol?
Resveratrol belongs to a huge family of plant compounds called polyphenols, produced by plants to defend against UV damage, fungi and other threats. Studies have focused on their potential influence on oxidative stress, cell damage, and inflammation, which play a role in the ageing process.7
Resveratrol is part of a smaller sub-group of polyphenols called stilbenes – Greek for ‘to shine’8 – which studies suggest may help support healthy ageing.910
How does resveratrol work in the body?
As an antioxidant
Resveratrol is thought to help support the body’s antioxidant defences by boosting the activity of enzymes that help protect cells from oxidative stress and helping to neutralise some of the molecules involved in this process.11
Oxidative stress, the bodily equivalent of iron rusting or a cut apple turning brown, is thought to play a key role in ageing.12 It happens when rogue molecules called free radicals overwhelm the body’s natural defence mechanisms causing cell damage.13 Sun exposure, pollution, stress, poor sleep, and unhealthy habits such as smoking or a poor diet, are all triggers.
As an anti-inflammatory
Inflammageing, low-grade, chronic inflammation that accumulates with the passing years, is increasingly thought to be one of the underlying drivers of ageing. Resveratrol seems to help to quell inflammation by influencing several of the ‘pathways’ involved in the body’s inflammatory response, turning down enzymes that produce inflammatory chemicals and helping regulate the ‘chatter’ between immune cells.14
By activating ‘longevity enzymes’
Resveratrol's apparent ability to activate sirtuins, sometimes called ‘longevity enzymes’ which help protect cells, caused a wave of excitement when scientists first discovered this.1516 Sirtuins are a family of enzymes long linked to calorie restriction and ageing, which are thought to work by helping the body manage energy, repair, and stress. More recent research suggests that while sirtuins do have a part to play in the ageing process it is complicated.17
Scientists are investigating how resveratrol may support mitochondria, the powerhouses of cells, influence AMPK, an enzyme that monitors cell energy levels, and help clear away damaged proteins and other cell debris associated with ageing.18
By regulating programmed cell death
The body’s cells are programmed to self-destruct when damaged or no longer useful, a natural process called apoptosis. But if this process gets out of balance it is thought to contribute to age-related conditions. Animal studies suggest resveratrol may help preserve the balance.19
What are the potential health benefits of resveratrol?
Much of the evidence for the benefits of resveratrol comes from lab and animal studies rather than large-scale human studies, such as randomised controlled trials (RCTs), considered the gold standard for proving cause and effect. Nevertheless, there are some clues as to how resveratrol may influence healthy ageing.
Early human studies suggest resveratrol may help support joint and muscle health, although differences in how studies were set up, how many people took part, and the doses they took mean findings are somewhat inconsistent.
- Knee osteoarthritis. In a study published in 2018 of 110 people with osteoarthritis (OA), resveratrol (500 mg a day) combined with the OA drug, meloxicam, was associated with less pain and improved mobility, compared with meloxicam alone or placebo.20
- Inflammation markers. A 2026 study in obese post-menopausal women found resveratrol reduced inflammation and cartilage breakdown.21
- Exercise. A 2021 pilot study in older people found resveratrol combined with exercise improved walking distance more than exercise alone, with early signs of better muscle mitochondrial function – the process that helps generate energy in cells – at higher doses.22
- Physical function. A 2025 study of 137 people with knee OA found 500mg/day resveratrol improved pain, stiffness, walking speed, and grip strength, possibly via one of those so-called longevity enzymes, SIRT1.23
- Muscle health. In a 2023 review of 21 clinical trials most (14) pointed to some benefit for muscle health, an encouraging sign, though 10 did not find any benefit, so more research is needed.24
- Heart function. A small (60 people) 2020 trial in people with heart failure found that 100 mg resveratrol was associated with improved heart function and quality of life.25
- Blood vessel health markers. A 2025 RCT found that resveratrol (500mg twice daily for four weeks) boosted levels of nitric oxide, which helps keep blood vessels elastic, though it had no effect on blood pressure.26
- Dietary polyphenols. A 2026 review in Nutrients of polyphenols including resveratrol in grapes and blueberries found ‘modest but consistent improvements’ in markers of blood vessel health.27
Several studies suggest resveratrol may help the body manage blood sugar and insulin, the hormone that keeps glucose levels balanced, especially in people with type 2 diabetes or obesity, although results vary between trials.
- Metabolic health. A 2026 review pooling the results of 40 clinical trials, involving more than 2,500 adults, found resveratrol was linked to improvements across several markers of metabolic health – including how well the body responds to insulin, cholesterol levels, blood pressure and inflammation. It didn’t, however, appear to help with weight loss, BMI, or liver fat.28
A 2010 study found that resveratrol improved blood flow and oxygen usage in the frontal region of the brain during mental tasks although no immediate improvement in cognitive performance was observed.29 This part of the brain is involved in skills like planning, focusing, making decisions, and solving problems.
Foods high in resveratrol
As always when looking to boost your intake of any nutrient, it's best to opt for a ‘food first’ approach.
These are some foods to put on your plate:3233
The so-called French Paradox – by which the French appear resistant to heart disease despite a diet high in butter, cheese, red meat, and smoking – was once largely attributed to resveratrol in red wine.
Recent research, however, shows that wine contains too little resveratrol to have this effect and researchers suggest that any small benefit is likely to be outweighed by the health risks of alcohol. Food sources like those listed above are a better bet for health.3435
Resveratrol supplementation
Resveratrol supplements usually contain ‘trans-resveratrol,’ a biologically active form of the compound that is closest to that found in food.
Resveratrol supplements usually contain ‘trans-resveratrol,’ a biologically active form of the compound that is closest to that found in food.
One of the biggest challenges is that the body absorbs and breaks resveratrol down rapidly, so relatively little enters the bloodstream in its active form. That’s why it’s important to look for a good quality supplement.
Healthspan’s Age Synergex brings together ingredients selected as part of a healthy ageing formulation.38 You can also explore Healthspan’s wider longevity range.
If you're considering a supplement, follow the pack instructions for optimum benefits. Fat can help absorption, so take it with foods containing healthy fats such as those found in avocados and olive oil.
Research suggests that resveratrol may help modulate the body clock via SIRT1 activity.39 What time of day is best to take it? Research from the University of Waterloo suggests that for older people resveratrol may work best when taken at midday, whereas for younger people taking it at night may be more effective.4041
Is resveratrol safe?
For most people, resveratrol appears well tolerated. Reported side effects, which mainly affect the digestive system, tend to be mild.42 However check with your doctor if you:
- Take blood-thinning medication (anticoagulants), as resveratrol may affect how these drugs work
- Take hormone-related medicines, since resveratrol can have mild hormone-like effects in the body
- Take any other prescribed medication, as resveratrol may interact with it
- Have an existing medical condition
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding
The bottom line
Resveratrol is emerging as a highly intriguing compound linked to healthy ageing with interest spanning a wide number of potential benefits for health.
Remember, no single ingredient can replace the established pillars of health: a balanced diet, regular movement, good sleep and stress management.
Resveratrol could be a part of the story. Watch this space!
