Red grape extract with resveratrol, OPCs and anthocyanins made from French grapes.

Does Resveratrol help against the coronavirus?

Does Resveratrol help against the coronavirus?
May 7, 2020 polyphine
In News

The dietary supplement resveratrol can prevent a patient with corona from entering Intensive Care. That is what Peter Van der Voort, head of IC of the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) claims.

 Earlier it emerged that a large part of the corona patients on the IC are overweight. Friday evening, Van der Voort shared his latest findings in Jinek (a Dutch TV Show) based on new research.

 Leptin

This new study is all about the substance leptin, a protein that is produced in belly fat and is therefore omnipresent in overweight people. The coronavirus itself is said to cause an increase in leptin in the blood.

And, although the connection has yet to be demonstrated concretely, it is therefore plausible that leptin plays an important role in the course of corona disease.

Resveratrol at Corona

Van der Voort mentions resveratrol as a promising agent in this, because it can reduce the amount of leptin in the blood:

“ I am hopeful that if you take this supplement from the start of getting sick, you can mitigate the Covid-19 disease, so it doesn’t lead to having to be admitted in to the intensive care.”
Peter van der Voort, head of IC – UMCG

Van der Voort does indicate that more practical research is needed to further substantiate the effect of resveratrol. “I don’t want to create false hopes yet,” he says.

 Less IC Admission

It has been known for some time that an increased amount of leptin can increase the risk of thrombosis. Thrombosis involves clots in the bloodstream.

 Thrombosis can also eventually lead to emboli, in which a blood vessel becomes “blocked”, as it were. This leads to (severe) shortness of breath in patients suffering from the coronavirus. An IC admission is then sometimes inevitable.

 Thus, if resveratrol works, it could potentially help reduce the number of IC admissions due to the coronavirus. Whether this is really the case remains to be investigated.

 Criticism

However, there is also criticism of Van der Voort’s statements. Several experts consider it premature.

 Renger Witkamp, ​​professor of nutrition and pharmacology at Wageningen University, also thinks it is important to remain critical and cautious, because the efficacy of resveratrol has not yet been proven. “We have to remain calm and not run after every hype,” he says.

 Furthermore, according to Witkamp, ​​it is known that leptin has many functions, but whether it does anything with the coronavirus and the associated disease course has not yet been properly investigated, according to the professor.

 Reaction

Commenting on the criticism, Van der Voort says:

 “This drug might do something. And then it is good to update the public about the state of affairs of your research. As a medical science, we are usually quite cautious, we follow research projects that span several years. But we don’t have the time for that now. ”

 Van der Voort agrees with scientists who believe that more research should be done into the effects of leptin and the efficacy of resveratrol.

 What is Resveratrol?

Resveratrol is a food and antioxidant found in various plant species.

 Resveratrol has a threefold effect, according to Van der Voort:

 It can lower the amount of leptin in your blood.

  • It is an antioxidant, which according to various studies has a beneficial effect on health.
  • It can restore the balance between two major receptors (ACE-2 and AT2), which play a role in the course of corona disease.

According to Van der Voort, the risks of using resveratrol are low. The cost of Resveratrol are not so high. “People could use it when they get complaints.”

Important:

Always read the package leaflet when using resveratrol. Are you using it in combination with medicine? Consult with your doctor first.

What is resveratrol in?

There are various foods that naturally contain resveratrol. These are nutrients with a relatively small concentration:

  • Peanuts and peanut butter
  • Blue grapes (and therefore also red wine)
  • Strawberries and mulberries
  • Blueberries
  • Chocolate (cocoa)
  • Cranberry

In higher concentrations, resveratrol is also available as a dietary supplement at the (online) drugstore. But soon after this news was announced, this supplement was sold out in every store.

Source: zorgwijzer.nl (Dutch)
https://www.zorgwijzer.nl/zorgverzekering-2021/helpt-resveratrol-tegen-het-coronavirus
Author: Thomas van Campenhout
Date: 04 May 2020

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