Studies on the effects of the long-term intake of trans-resveratrol on vascular function are conflicting. In addition, postprandial effects of long-term trans-resveratrol intake on endothelial function are not known. We therefore supplemented 45 overweight and slightly obese volunteers (25 men and 20 women) with a mean (±SD) age of 61 ± 7 years and body mass index of 28.3 ± 3.2 kg/m² in random order trans-resveratrol (2 × 75 mg/day) or placebo capsules for 4 weeks, separated by a washout period of at least 4 weeks. At the end of each intervention period, brachial artery flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) was measured before and after meal consumption. Plasma biomarkers for endothelial function, inflammation, and glucose and lipid metabolism were also determined. Compared with the placebo, trans-resveratrol did not affect fasting FMD (2.9 ± 1.4% vs. 3.0 ± 1.9%; p = 0.69). After the postprandial test, changes in FMD (-0.7 ± 2.3% vs. 0.2 ± 2.6%; p = 0.13) were also not significantly different. Postprandial changes in biomarkers were also comparable. In conclusion, for overweight and slightly obese volunteers, a daily intake of 150 mg of trans-resveratrol for 4 weeks does not change plasma biomarkers of endothelial function or inflammation in the fasting state or postprandial phase.
Keywords: flow-mediated vasodilation; humans; postprandial; trans-resveratrol; vascular function.