Resveratrol Fights Fat

New research finds that red wine chemical

can limit growth of fat cells;

could help fight diabetes and heart disease

Jacob Gaffney

Posted: Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Resveratrol, the chemical compound found in red wine
and an increasing target of medical research, can limit
obesity by preventing the development of fat cells,
according to a study presented Monday at the Endocrine
Society's 90th-annual meeting in San Francisco. A team of
scientists from the University of Ulm, located in southwest
Germany, report that resveratrol shows potential as a
fat-fighting supplement, by both preventing weight gain
and stopping some of the health problems caused by obesity.

The findings echo previous research where resveratrol
supplements helped keep obese mice healthy.

"Resveratrol has anti-obesity properties by exerting its
effects directly on the fat cells," said Pamela
Fischer-Posovszky, a pediatric endocrinology research
fellow at the university's diabetes and obesity unit.
"Resveratrol might help to prevent development of
obesity or might be suited to treating obesity."

During their research, Fischer-Posovszky and her team
isolated human stem-cell lines, called preadipocytes.
These fibrous tissues eventually mature into adipocytes,
which store energy and insulate the body in the form of fat.

The scientists exposed the preadipocytes to various doses
of resveratrol and observed that the chemical hindered the
maturation of the cells into adipocytes. The resveratrol also
reduced the cells' production of certain proteins linked to
the development of obesity-related disorders, such as
type 2 diabetes and clogged arteries. Furthermore, the
resveratrol stimulated the production of a
metabolism-regulating protein, called adiponectin, which
decreases the risk of heart attack. People who are obese
are typically adiponectin deficient.

The dosage of resveratrol used in the study is equivalent
to consuming several bottles of wine, suggesting that
supplements would be more effective than wine
consumption in fighting fat. And the effects of the
resveratol were dose-dependent, meaning the more
resveratrol used, the better the results.

Fischer-Posovszky is pleased with the results but warns
that "you have to keep in mind that there might be
adverse effects," she said. "So far, there are no
reliable studies on resveratrol in humans."

Folate good for Sperm

Folate an essential nutrient

A new study finds that Folate intake is linked to genetic
abnormalities in sperm.

BERKELEY – Healthy men who report lower levels of the
nutrient folate in their diets have higher rates of chromosomal
abnormalities in their sperm, according to a new study by
researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and the
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Women of child-bearing age are encouraged to maintain
adequate levels of folate in their diet, but the new findings,
to be published Thursday, March 20, in the journal Human
Reproduction, provide evidence that what men eat may also
affect reproductive health.

"Recent studies have suggested that paternal diet affects
sperm count and motility, which is important for conception,
but this new study takes it further to say that male diet may
be important for healthy offspring as well," said study coordinator
Suzanne Young, a researcher at UC Berkeley's School of Public
Health. "Our study is the first to look at the effects of diet on
chromosomal abnormalities in sperm. These abnormalities would
cause either miscarriages or children with genetic syndromes if
the sperm fertilized an egg."

Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin that occurs naturally in a wide
range of foods, particularly liver, leafy green vegetables, citrus
fruits and legumes. It is needed during the synthesis of DNA, RNA
and proteins, and it is necessary for the production of new cells.
Folate also helps keep in check levels of homocysteine, an amino
acid that, when elevated, is linked to heart disease.

Studies have shown that adequate intake of folate by women
just before and during pregnancy significantly reduces the risk
of neural tube birth defects, such as spina bifida or anencephaly.

By Sarah Yang, Media Relations | 19 March 2008
Berkeley Press Release