Resveratrol Supplementation Improves Glucose Regulation in Type II Diabetics

Supplementing with resveratrol showed positive effects in the regulation of glucose and the maintenance of healthy levels of inflammation and oxidative stress in type II diabetics, according to an article in Complementary Therapies in Medicine.*

The participants who completed the trial were being treated with drugs for type II diabetes. One group received 200 mg of resveratrol daily for 24 weeks and another was given a placebo.

The resveratrol recipients had reductions in glucose and insulin, as well as reduced insulin resistance, compared to the beginning of the trial and to the placebo group.

Editor’s Note: The authors concluded that, "Supplementation of resveratrol along with oral hypoglycemic agents may be useful in the reduction of diabetic-associated complications."

* Complement Ther Med. 2022 Mar 1;66: 102819.

Vitamin E Helps People with Leukoaraiosis, a Brain Condition

A study published in the International Journal of Neuroscience found improvements in factors related to leukoaraiosis, an abnormality in the brain’s white matter, among adults given supplements containing vitamin E.*

The study included 160 men and women diagnosed with leukoaraiosis by MRI who had undergone testing for cognitive function. Participants received either 200 IU, 400 IU or 600 IU of vitamin E or a placebo daily for 12 weeks. At the end of the treatment period, blood samples were evaluated for inflammatory factors as well as for markers of oxidative stress and endothelial function.

Inflammation, oxidative stress, and endothelial function improved in all individuals in vitamin E-treated groups compared with the placebo. Cognitive function scores also significantly improved in the vitamin E-treated groups. Improvement in all measured factors was correlated with higher doses of vitamin E.

Editor’s Note: "Vitamin E could be a potential drug for the clinical treatment of leukoaraiosis patients," the authors concluded.

* Int J Neurosci. 2022 Jun 2;1-9.

Branched Chain Amino Acid Supplements Raise Level of Physical Function in Stroke Patients

Stroke patients who supplemented with branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) showed improvement in muscle and functional status compared to those who did not, the journal Frontiers in Neurology reported.*

The study included 54 patients who had recently suffered a stroke and were receiving intensive therapy at a rehabilitation center. Most had muscle tissue loss. Half of the participants received a supplement that contained 6 grams of a blend of the branched chain amino acids leucine, isoleucine, and valine, twice per day for four weeks.

Among those who received BCAAs, handgrip strength and skeletal muscle mass improved after treatment, while in the control group, muscle mass decreased.

In the BCAA group, 46% of the individuals regained the ability to walk by the study’s conclusion, compared to 37% in the placebo group.

Editor’s Note: Both groups experienced improvement in physical function such as balance, gait, and swallowing, but the group that received BCAAs improved to a greater extent.

* Front Neurol. 2022 Mar 11;13:744945.

People with Higher Carotenoid Levels Have Lower Dementia Risk

An article published in Neurology^®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, reported an association between higher levels of several carotenoids and a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias during an average follow-up period of 16 to 17 years.*

Carotenoids are a family of yellow to red plant pigments, including beta-carotene, which have an antioxidant effect.

Researchers examined data from 7,283 men and women who were aged 45 years and older upon enrollment in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 1988-1994. Participants’ serum levels of antioxidant vitamins A, C and E, and the carotenoids were determined from blood samples collected at the beginning of the study.

Among those aged 65 and older at enrollment, each approximate 15.4 micromols/liter increase in lutein and zeaxanthin was associated with a 7% decrease in dementia risk during follow-up. For beta-cryptoxanthin, each 8.6 micromols/liter increase was associated with a 14% reduction among those older than 45 at the beginning of the study.

Editor’s Note: "Antioxidants may help protect the brain from oxidative stress, which can cause cell damage," stated study author May A. Beydoun, PhD, MPH, of the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Aging.

* Neurology. 2022 May 24;98(21):e2150-e2162.