Resveratrol Reduces COVID-19 Hospitalizations

by Karyn Maier

New research indicates that supplementation with resveratrol, a compound found in certain berries, nuts and herbs, in combination with vitamin D3, may reduce the incidence of hospitalization in people 45 years of age in older who contract COVID-19.

Resveratrol is a polyphenol found in grapes (and consequently wine), blueberries, cranberries, mulberries, cocoa, peanuts, pistachio and Japanese knotweed. This substance, produced by plants in response to an injury or infection, has been well-studied and consistently demonstrated potent demonstrated anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Of particular interest to researcher is the effect of resveratrol on ACE2 (angiotensin converting enzyme 2), a protein found involved in the regulation of heart and kidney function that has receptors in the respiratory tract. SARS-CoV-2 secretes proteins that bind to these receptor sites, where they penetrate healthy cells and initiate viral replication, triggering an increased release of inflammatory chemicals that may ultimately lead to Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and long-term lung damage. In addition to its many benefits, resveratrol has been shown to upregulate ACE2 and may offer protection from lung damage associated with COVID-19. In this study, vitamin D3 was given to study subjects in conjunction with resveratrol (from an extract of Japanese Knotweed Root, Polygonum cuspidatum) due to its synergistic anti-inflammatory effects, including the inhibition of various cytokines, such as IL-6 and TNF-α.

Reference

McCreary MR, Schnell PM, Rhoda DA. Randomized Double-blind Placebo-controlled Proof-of-concept Trial of Resveratrol for Outpatient Treatment of Mild Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). Res Sq [Preprint]. 2021 Sep 13:rs.3.rs-861831. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-861831/v1. Update in: Sci Rep. 2022 Jun 29;12(1):10978. PMID: 34545357; PMCID: PMC8452104.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8452104/