Is Red Wine Good for PCOS?
by Amy Medling, founder of PCOS Diva
Not since the health benefits of chocolate were announced has there been such enthusiasm about research results. Scientists now say that resveratrol, a compound found in red wine, can help alleviate symptoms of PCOS and much more.
What is resveratrol?
Resveratrol is a powerful phytoalexin found in peanuts, nuts, many berries, Japanese knotweed, the skin of red grapes, and red wine. Phytoalexins are antimicrobial compounds produced as part of a plant’s defense system against disease and in response to an invading fungus stress, injury, or infection. It also helps them withstand drought or lack of nutrients. Resveratrol specifically has noted anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-aging and cardioprotective properties in humans.
How does it help with PCOS?
Women with PCOS typically produce more testosterone and other androgens than other women. This androgen excess causes many of our most common symptoms including irregular or missing periods, infertility, weight gain, hirsutism (excess body hair) and acne.
In a study published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, researchers found that resveratrol can lower levels of testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) which the body can convert into testosterone. In fact, the senior author of the study, Antoni J. Duleba, MD, of the University of California, San Diego, says, “This nutritional supplement can help moderate the hormone imbalance that is one of the central features of PCOS.”
Duleba also reports that the decline in hormone levels was greater than what they found with the birth control pill, a common band-aid for PCOS symptoms. The research team is hopeful that resveratrol will help restore normal cycles and improve fertility in the long term. That’s great news for women who are trying to conceive or are concerned about the side effects or short term solution of the pill. Resveratrol may be a natural alternative.
Resveratrol and Diabetes Risk
The news gets even better. Women in the study who received resveratrol showed improvement in diabetes risk factors. Their fasting insulin levels dropped by nearly 32%, and the women became more responsive to insulin. This prompted the researchers to report that, “Resveratrol significantly reduced ovarian and adrenal androgens. This effect may be, at least in part, related to an improvement of insulin sensitivity and a decline of insulin level.”
“The findings suggest resveratrol can improve the body’s ability to use insulin and potentially lower the risk of developing diabetes. The supplement may be able to help reduce the risk of metabolic problems common in women with PCOS.” -Antoni J. Duleba, MD
This isn’t only this study that is finding hopeful results. In a 2013 study, researchers found that “resveratrol supplementation exerted strong antidiabetic effects in patients with type 2 diabetes” including significantly decreased systolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, hemoglobin A1c, insulin, and insulin resistance, while HDL was significantly increased. As far back as 2011, research studies were beginning to show that “resveratrol improves insulin sensitivity in humans.”
A 2017 study published in the International Heart Journal also demonstrated that resveratrol may bring some relief for patients already struggling with type II diabetes. In this study, resveratrol supplementation proved itself as a “potential strategy for mitigating arterial stiffness and reducing blood pressure and oxidative damage” in diabetes patients.
All of this positive research has inspired even more studies. In 2018, the journal Nutrients published promising results, stating that resveratrol facilitates glucose delivery and utilization and results in improved insulin sensitivity. Resveratrol may also play a role in preventing or alleviating insulin resistance.
Since the early 1990s, scientists have been exploring the effects of resveratrol on health in answer to the “French Paradox.” How is it that the French eat a diet high in fat, but have a low incidence of heart disease? The answer seems to be the resveratrol in their red wine. Since women with PCOS are at increased risk of cardiovascular problems, the combined hormonal, insulin, and cardiovascular benefits of resveratrol are especially promising.
What is the best way to take resveratrol?
The bad news in this research is that you can’t drink the amount of wine to equal the resveratrol supplement used in the trials. It would be about 100-200 liters a day, says Duleba. On the upside, you can take resveratrol in supplement form and still drink your favorite pinot noir (the best source of resveratrol in wine) with no risk.
To get the most benefit from resveratrol, take it in the morning with breakfast. Studies suggest you should avoid eating fatty foods at the same meal since it will reduce the effectiveness of the resveratrol. Consumption of alcohol or of quercetin (another polyphenol) does not affect absorption.
Until recently, all of the testing of resveratrol has been on mice, so the required dosage must be scaled. The amounts used in one successful mouse study were approximately 22.4 mg/kg body weight per day. Scaling this amount to human body weights could imply an equivalent human dose of 1.5 to 2.0 grams/day. However, if one compensates for the fact that humans have slower metabolic rates than mice, an equivalent human dose may be closer to 200 mg/day.
Finally, be certain that your supplement is trans-resveratrol. This is the type of resveratrol used in the studies and proven effective.
So, go forth and drink red wine! But first, take your resveratrol supplement.
To learn more about how to choose the right type of wine for PCOS, listen to (or read the transcript) of: A PCOS Diva’s Guide to Choosing Wine [Podcast]
Amy Medling, best-selling author of Healing PCOS and certified health coach, specializes in working with women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), who are frustrated and have lost all hope when the only solution their doctors offer is to lose weight, take a pill, and live with their symptoms. In response, Amy founded PCOS Diva and developed a proven protocol of supplements, diet, and lifestyle programs that offer women tools to help gain control of their PCOS and regain their fertility, femininity, health, and happiness.
Resources:
Brasnyó, P., and Et Al. “Resveratrol Improves Insulin Sensitivity, Reduces Oxidative Stress and Activates the Akt Pathway in Type 2 Diabetic Patients.” The British Journal of Nutrition. The British Journal of Nutrition., Aug. 2011.
“Effects of Resveratrol on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Trial.” Effects of Resveratrol on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Trial: The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism: Vol 101, No 11. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 18 Oct. 2016.
Imamura H et al. Resveratrol Ameliorates Arterial Stiffness Assessed by Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Int Heart J. 13 Jul. 2017 .
LaPorte, C., N. Voduc, G. Zhang, I. Seguin, D. Tardiff, N. Singhal, and DW Cameron. “Steady-State Pharmacokinetics and Tolerability of Trans-resveratrol 2000 Mg Twice Daily with Food, Quercetin and Alcohol (ethanol) in Healthy Human Subjects.” Clinical Pharmacokinetics. Clin Pharmacokinet, July 2010.
Movehed, A., I. Nabipour, X. Lieben Louis, SJ Thandapilly, L. Yu, M. Kalantarhormozi, SJ Rekabpour, and T. Netticadan. “Antihyperglycemic Effects of Short Term Resveratrol Supplementation in Type 2 Diabetic Patients.” Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : ECAM. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2013.
“Resveratrol.” Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University, Jan. 2017.
“Resveratrol Can Help Correct Hormone Imbalance in Women with PCOS.” Medical Xpress. Medical Xpress, 18 Oct. 2016.
Williams, Lexi. “Study Finds Red-Wine Compound Helps Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.” Wine Spectator – Low Membership Price! Wine Spectator, 31 Oct. 2016.
