Resveratrol (3,5,4′-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene) is a stilbenoid, a type of natural phenol, and a phytoalexin produced by several plants in response to injury or when the plant is under attack by pathogens, such as bacteria or fungi. Sources of resveratrol in food include the skin of grapes, blueberries, raspberries, mulberries, and peanuts.
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Very many women experience menopausal transition complaints that have a negative impact on the quality of life. Until now, the usual treatment of choice for menopausal symptoms such as vasomotor symptoms (e.g., hot flushes and night sweats) consisted of comprehensive hormone-based therapies. Vasomotor symptoms may lead to increased anxiety, stress and embarrassment. These symptoms affect psychological well-being and negatively impact aspects of quality of life including cognitive impairment, mood disturbances, physical pain, fatigue, and social and work-related challenges.
Several recent studies indicate that regular consumption of resveratrol may enhance cerebrovascular function, improve cognition, slow bone loss and reduce overall perception of pain experienced in postmenopausal women. Resveratrol supplementation may provide a promising therapeutic treatment for menopause-related complaints.
When compared to placebo/control resveratrol supplementation significantly improved cognitive function, bone mineral density, perception of pain experienced and enhanced cerebrovascular function in postmenopausal women. No significant effects were observed in depressive symptoms (CES-D) with resveratrol supplementation however when combined with other ingredients improvements in depressive symptoms and insomnia were observed. (1)
In 2017, eighty post-menopausal women aged 45-85 years were randomised to take trans-resveratrol or placebo for 14 weeks and the effects on cognitive performance, cerebral blood flow velocity and pulsatility index (a measure of arterial stiffness) in the middle cerebral artery (using transcranial Doppler ultrasound), and cerebrovascular responsiveness (CVR) to both cognitive testing and hypercapnia were assessed. These results indicate that regular consumption of a modest dose of resveratrol can enhance both cerebrovascular function and cognition in post-menopausal women, potentially reducing their heightened risk of accelerated cognitive decline and offering a promising therapeutic treatment for menopause-related cognitive decline. This study also showed that supplementation with resveratrol can improve aspects of well-being including chronic pain, which is a common complaint in postmenopausal women. (2)
Three years after this study was conducted, another one followed. The Resveratrol for Healthy Ageing in Women study, a 24-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-period crossover intervention trial of resveratrol supplementation (75 mg BID) was conducted in 125 healthy postmenopausal women to evaluate effects on cognitive performance. Aspects of well-being including pain perception, mood and depressive symptoms, menopausal symptoms, sleep quality, and quality of life were assessed with questionnaires as secondary outcomes of the study. Cerebrovascular responsiveness to hypercapnia was measured as a surrogate marker of cerebrovascular function.
These results confirm the pilot study finding that resveratrol supplementation can reduce chronic pain in age-related osteoarthritis and improve menopause-related quality of life in postmenopausal women. These improvements are sustained by supplementation for at least 12 months and are associated with enhancement of circulatory function. (3)
Endometriosis, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and osteoporosis are other problems women faced by women when they reach menopause. Many reports have shown that resveratrol might exert cardiovascular protective effects. Preclinical reports also indicate that it can prevent bone loss and endometriosis. In another medical study, the possible protective effects of resveratrol against arteriosclerosis, osteoporosis, and endometriosis because of its wide-ranging functions, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidative stress functions, are described. (4)
The use of resveratrol is presumed to benefit perimenopausal women in three ways alleviating atherogenesis, improving inflammatory responses, promoting osteoblastogenesis, inhibiting osteoclastogenesis, inducting apoptosis and inhibiting inflammation. For this purpose, activation of SIRT1 using resveratrol might have therapeutic significance. Considering that resveratrol has estrogen-like action, activates sirtuin family of molecules, and possesses potent antioxidant function, it may be considered as a prophylactic agent for reducing medical expenses and extending life span.
Sources
(1) – The effect of Resveratrol on menopausal symptoms: A systematic review.
(4) – Benefits of the Phytoestrogen Resveratrol for Perimenopausal Women.
