EvidenceDPreliminaryVery uncertain: animal or cell studies, or studies in people with several serious weaknesses.
We don't know yet. No study has shown that resveratrol helps people live longer, and the evidence for longer life comes from animals, with mixed results.
Who it's for
No group has a clear lifespan benefit; older adults are the main group studied.
What to expect
No proven effect on how long people live.
Watch out for
High doses raised LDL cholesterol in one trial.
Resveratrol levels in urine did not predict who died
A dot with a line shows the range for risk of death in older adults with the lowest resveratrol levels compared with the highest.
← BetterWorse →
No difference
Lowest vs. highest resveratrol level0.8 (0.54 to 1.17)No clear difference
0.751
risk of death vs. highest level, 1 = same
Resveratrol levels in urine did not predict who died
A study that followed 783 adults aged 65 and older for 9 years measured resveratrol from diet, using urine tests. Levels were not linked to the risk of death, heart disease, cancer or inflammation. The results could fit a benefit or a harm2Randomized trial · 2014Resveratrol levels and all-cause mortality in older community-dwelling adults.In older community-dwelling adults, total urinary resveratrol metabolite concentration was not associated with inflammatory markers, cardiovascular disease, or cancer or predictive of all-cause mortality. Resveratrol levels achieved with a Western diet did not have a substantial influence on health status and…JAMA Intern Med. Such figures compare groups, so one person's outcome depends on their starting risk.
A review that pooled 19 animal papers across six species found resveratrol extended life. The effect was strongest in yeast and nematode worms and less reliable in higher species. Many results varied for unexplained reasons. The authors questioned marketing it as a life-extending supplement for humans8Animal study · 2012The effect of resveratrol on longevity across species: a meta-analysis.In summary, we can report that few species conclusively show life extension in response to resveratrol. As such, we question the practice of the substance being marketed as a life-extending health supplement for humans.Biol Lett.
A review of 10 trials in older adults found possible benefits for muscle function with exercise and for thinking in overweight people. It found no advantage over a dummy pill (placebo A dummy treatment that looks like the real one, so people can't tell which they got.) in people with diabetes or artery disease in the legs. None of these trials measured lifespan1Systematic review · 2024Effects and safety of resveratrol supplementation in older adults: A comprehensive systematic review.RSV can improve various health parameters in age-related health conditions. However, the optimal dosage, long-term effects, and potential interactions with medications still need to be investigated through well-designed RCTs.Phytother Res.
A crossover trial of 30 older adults with impaired blood sugar control gave 2 to 3 g a day for 6 weeks. Blood vessel function and muscle mitochondria (the cell's energy units) improved. Blood sugar control did not. The authors said the meaning for human lifespan is uncertain3Randomized trial · 2017 · 30 peopleResveratrol Improves Vascular Function and Mitochondrial Number but Not Glucose Metabolism in Older Adults.Resveratrol treatment of older adults with impaired glucose regulation may have beneficial effects on vascular function, but not glucose metabolism or insulin sensitivity. Changes in gene expression suggest effects similar to those observed with caloric restriction, which has been shown to increase life and health…J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci.
A 2-year pilot trial of 120 healthy adults around age 72 tested resveratrol plus a supplement called TA-65. The resveratrol group stopped at month 5 because LDL cholesterol rose. The treatments did not change a blood-based marker of biological age4Randomized trial · 2026 · 126 peopleThe proBNPage reduction (PBAR) trial-results of a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled, pilot study to fine tune an NT-proBNP-based method to assess the effect of anti-aging treatments.The treatments did not induce significant changes in proBNPage. The marked increase in cholesterol in group B suggests that high-dose resveratrol should be avoided.Geroscience.
Mouse work showed resveratrol improved running endurance and protected against diet-induced obesity. This does not show a lifespan effect in people7Study · 2006Resveratrol improves mitochondrial function and protects against metabolic disease by activating SIRT1 and PGC-1alpha.Importantly, RSV treatment protected mice against diet-induced-obesity and insulin resistance. These pharmacological effects of RSV combined with the association of three Sirt1 SNPs and energy homeostasis in Finnish subjects implicates SIRT1 as a key regulator of energy and metabolic homeostasis.Cell.
Key studies
Study
Who
What it found
Study following people, 20142Randomized trial · 2014Resveratrol levels and all-cause mortality in older community-dwelling adults.In older community-dwelling adults, total urinary resveratrol metabolite concentration was not associated with inflammatory markers, cardiovascular disease, or cancer or predictive of all-cause mortality. Resveratrol levels achieved with a Western diet did not have a substantial influence on health status and…JAMA Intern Med
783 adults 65+, 9 years
Diet resveratrol levels not linked to death risk
Review of animal studies, 20128Animal study · 2012The effect of resveratrol on longevity across species: a meta-analysis.In summary, we can report that few species conclusively show life extension in response to resveratrol. As such, we question the practice of the substance being marketed as a life-extending health supplement for humans.Biol Lett
19 papers, six species
Life extension mostly in yeast and worms; mixed elsewhere
Review of 10 trials, 20241Systematic review · 2024Effects and safety of resveratrol supplementation in older adults: A comprehensive systematic review.RSV can improve various health parameters in age-related health conditions. However, the optimal dosage, long-term effects, and potential interactions with medications still need to be investigated through well-designed RCTs.Phytother Res
Older adults
Some function benefits; no lifespan data
Trial, 20264Randomized trial · 2026 · 126 peopleThe proBNPage reduction (PBAR) trial-results of a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled, pilot study to fine tune an NT-proBNP-based method to assess the effect of anti-aging treatments.The treatments did not induce significant changes in proBNPage. The marked increase in cholesterol in group B suggests that high-dose resveratrol should be avoided.Geroscience
120 healthy adults, about 72
Cholesterol rose; no change in aging marker
Trial, 20173Randomized trial · 2017 · 30 peopleResveratrol Improves Vascular Function and Mitochondrial Number but Not Glucose Metabolism in Older Adults.Resveratrol treatment of older adults with impaired glucose regulation may have beneficial effects on vascular function, but not glucose metabolism or insulin sensitivity. Changes in gene expression suggest effects similar to those observed with caloric restriction, which has been shown to increase life and health…J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci
30 older adults
Vessel function improved; blood sugar unchanged
Safety
Trials of resveratrol generally reported no serious side effects1Systematic review · 2024Effects and safety of resveratrol supplementation in older adults: A comprehensive systematic review.RSV can improve various health parameters in age-related health conditions. However, the optimal dosage, long-term effects, and potential interactions with medications still need to be investigated through well-designed RCTs.Phytother Res,6Review · 2011Resveratrol and health--a comprehensive review of human clinical trials.Very few published human studies have explored the ability of resveratrol to achieve the physiological benefits that have been observed in laboratory models, although many clinical trials have recently been initiated. This review aims to examine the current state of knowledge on the effects of resveratrol on humans…Mol Nutr Food Res. High doses raised some heart disease risk markers1Systematic review · 2024Effects and safety of resveratrol supplementation in older adults: A comprehensive systematic review.RSV can improve various health parameters in age-related health conditions. However, the optimal dosage, long-term effects, and potential interactions with medications still need to be investigated through well-designed RCTs.Phytother Res. In one trial, LDL cholesterol rose enough to stop the resveratrol group early, and the authors advised avoiding high doses4Randomized trial · 2026 · 126 peopleThe proBNPage reduction (PBAR) trial-results of a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled, pilot study to fine tune an NT-proBNP-based method to assess the effect of anti-aging treatments.The treatments did not induce significant changes in proBNPage. The marked increase in cholesterol in group B suggests that high-dose resveratrol should be avoided.Geroscience. Absorption by the body is poor6Review · 2011Resveratrol and health--a comprehensive review of human clinical trials.Very few published human studies have explored the ability of resveratrol to achieve the physiological benefits that have been observed in laboratory models, although many clinical trials have recently been initiated. This review aims to examine the current state of knowledge on the effects of resveratrol on humans…Mol Nutr Food Res.
What we don't know
Whether resveratrol changes how long people live. No trial has tested this.
The best dose, the long-term effects and interactions with medicines1Systematic review · 2024Effects and safety of resveratrol supplementation in older adults: A comprehensive systematic review.RSV can improve various health parameters in age-related health conditions. However, the optimal dosage, long-term effects, and potential interactions with medications still need to be investigated through well-designed RCTs.Phytother Res.
Written by AI from the studies listed, without review by a clinician, and graded with the GRADE method. It can be wrong, so check the studies it cites. Education, not medical advice.