Studies on the Health Benefits of Resveratrol: Prevention or Cure for Cancer

Continuing my answer to Paula which began Monday ...

The evidence for Resveratrol as a cancer preventive or curative agent is very mixed. As noted Tuesday, Resveratrol is a phytoestrogen and could actually promote the growth of estrogen-dependent tumors.

In vitro, Resveratrol has been shown to interfere with all three stages of cancer development – initiation, promotion and progression. Successful in vitro studies have been reported for many types of cancer cells: colon, esophageal, gastric, leukemia, pancreatic, prostate, skin and even breast.

If Resveratrol does develop into a cancer treatment, it is unlikely to be in pill form. The dosage would have to be massive (Boocock D.J. et al., Cancer Epidemiology, June 2007). As well, pills would be an inefficient way to deliver the drug and would increase potential for negative side effects on healthy organs.

In animal models, topical application for skin cancer (Jang M. et al., Science, February 1997) and intra-peritoneal injection for gastrointestinal cancers (Fontecave M. et al., FEBS Letters, Vol. 421, 1998) have slowed cancer growth.

As a cancer prophylactic, the news for oral Resveratrol is a bit better. Resveratrol supplementaion in small doses (1 or 2 mg/kg) reduced the number and size of esophageal tumors (Li Z.G. et al., Carcinogenesis, September 2002) and prevented the development of colon and intestinal tumors (Fontcave ibid.) in mice which were injected with specific cancer causing agents.

The equivalent prophylactic dose for a 180 pound human would be 220 or 440 mg a day.

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