19 million DKK awarded for research on resveratrol and obesity
Det Strategiske Forskningsråd will fund a research project on the benefits of resveratrol in the treatment of obesity. At Resveratrol2010, a conference co-organised by Øresund Food, speakers shared related research on resveratrol and obesity, inflammation, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and longevity. The next resveratrol conference is planned for 2012.
Resveratrol, a bioactive compound found in red wine, is believed to protect overweight against cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis. Steen Bønløkke Pedersen, chief physician, Århus Hospital, and research lecturer at the Institute of Clinical Medicine, Århus University, has just received 19 million DKK to research this topic.
Earlier research has suggested that mice, rats, and humans live longer if they, throughout life, eat too little. When the body receives too little food, the genes in cells change so that the whole organism lives longer. Resveratrol, which is among other places found in red wine and berries, has been shown to cause cells to mimic chronic hunger.
Experiments have shown that obese animals receiving resveratrol in their diets, despite remaining obese, live as long as slim mice – and much longer than obese animals not receiving the drug. Additionally, resveratrol-treated mice improved memory and coordination.
Experiments at the cellular level have shown that if you add resveratrol to fat cells, it inhibits the inflammation that exists in the fat cells in obese people. Pedersen expects resveratrol treatment to improve subjects' insulin sensitivity and to inhibit other lifestyle diseases such as cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis.
There will be 4-5 PhD students affiliated with the project, which starts this summer.
Øresund Food’s resveratrol conference
In September 2010, Øresund Food co-organised Resveratrol2010, the first international conference of resveratrol and health. The conference was a great success with more than 150 participants from 25 different countries. A range of publications and recommendations for future resveratrol research resulted.
Resveratrol2010's scientific program - including talks on obesity, inflammation, cariovascular diseases, cancer, and longevity - connected researchers and other stakeholders in the area of resveratrol. Conference programme, abstracts, posters, and video recordings of talks are available at www.resveratrol2010.com.
Get updates about Resveratrol2012: www.resveratrol2010.com.
Read more about Steen Bønløkke Pedersen's research project (in Danish): http://health.au.dk/nyheder/seneste/2010/19millionertilforskningiroedvinogfedme/.
