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Polyphenol supplement failed to improve NAFLD in obese men

Resveratrol did not improve characteristics of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease among a cohort of overweight or obese men, according to study data.

“We hypothesized that in overweight or obese men with NAFLD, 3,000 mg daily resveratrol during a period of 8 weeks would improve hepatic and metabolic dysregulation with [insulin resistance] as primary outcome, assessed by the euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp and be safe and result in high parent resveratrol concentration,” the researchers wrote.

Among a cohort of 20 obese or overweight men with NAFLD from outpatient hepatology clinics in Brisbane, Australia, researchers randomly assigned 10 men to placebo and 10 men to 3,000 mg resveratrol (Biotivia Bioceuticals) per day for 8 weeks. All patients had insulin resistance at baseline and completed the 8-week regimen. Eighty-five percent of patients completed all parts of the study investigation.

Although resveratrol was well tolerated among the patients, it did not improve insulin-mediated glucose uptake, nor affect fasting glucose, insulin, non-esterified fatty acids or adipose tissue insulin resistance index. Resveratrol also did not prompt change in hepatic steatosis, total abdominal fat, distribution, plasma lipids or antioxidant activity, according to the research.

The most common and frequent adverse event experienced by patients was mild gastrointestinal symptoms, such as increased frequency of bowel motions and loose stools, and was observed among more patients in the resveratrol group compared with placebo patients (80% vs. 20%).

Despite the lack of change in many elements of NAFLD through the use of resveratrol, alanine aminotransferase and asparate aminotransferase levels increased among patients receiving resveratrol until week 6 — 56% and 50% median increases, respectively — compared with patients receiving placebo.

“The present study demonstrated that the preventive role of resveratrol observed in diet-induced preclinical models of NAFLD does not translate into a therapeutic role in clinically established NAFLD,” the researchers concluded.

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.