Resveratrol Helps Increase Spinal Density

Researchers at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark have made a shocking discovery. They've found that the natural compound in red wine and grapes, known as resveratrol, can help to boost spinal bone density, particularly in men suffering from metabolic syndrome--a health issue that can significantly increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

Researchers said they are hopeful that resveratrol could potentially play a factor in the development of future osteoarthritis treatments, as well. 

"Our study is the first to reveal resveratrol's potential as an anti-osteoporosis drug in humans," said one of the study's authors, Marie Juul Ørnstrup, MD, of Aarhus University Hospital in Aarhus, Denmark, in a news release. "Our findings suggest the compound stimulates bone-forming cells within the body."

For the study, researchers recruited 66 male participants with metabolic syndrome who were divided into three groups. The first group consisted of men who took a 500-milligram dose of resveratrol two times a day and in the second group, the men took a lower dose of 75 milligrams. In the last group, the men received a placebo pill that was also taken twice a day and the researchers tracked bone mineral density bone formation and resorption.

Findings revealed that men who took the highest dose of resveratrol had a 2.6 percent increase in their lumber spine volumetric bone density in comparison to those who took the placebo. This group also experienced a 16 percent increase in bone alkaline phosphate (BAP), which is a marker of bone formation.

"In just four months on high-dose resveratrol, we saw significant improvements in bone mineral density at the spine and elevated levels of the bone formation marker BAP," Ørnstrup concluded. "These are encouraging results. Additional research is needed to assess whether these bone protective effects occur in populations at risk of osteoporosis during the course of long-term treatment."

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.