Full profile
| Also known as | Trans-resveratrol, Resvida |
|---|---|
| Best for | Cerebral blood flow support · Verbal memory support |
| Evidence grade | Grade C — Limited — early or small human trials |
| Studied dose range | 150 mg/day (commonly split as 75 mg twice daily) of trans-resveratrol. |
| Time to effect | Acute cerebral-blood-flow effect within hours; memory trials ran up to 24 months. |
| Best form | Resvida or an equivalent trans-resveratrol extract with a stated purity. |
Evidence, honestly graded
Kennedy 2010 (PMID 20357044) found an acute single dose improved cerebral blood flow in healthy adults but did NOT improve cognitive performance — the blood-flow effect is real, the acute cognition benefit is not. The only positive cognition data come from postmenopausal-women RCTs (including a 24-month trial) run by a single research group (RESHAW). Downgraded from B to C on 2026-07-11: for a broad healthy-adult cognition claim, the load-bearing acute trial was cognition-null and the memory signal exists only in one group studying one narrow, non-generalizable population — a single-group base does not support a B.
See the full grading rubric — study type, replication, population match, and dose adequacy — in The Evidence Standard.
723 licensed natural health products in Health Canada's LNHPD list Resveratrol as a medicinal ingredient.
That makes Resveratrol a recognized, licensable medicinal ingredient in Canada — regulated by Health Canada's Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate, which issues each licensed natural health product a Natural Product Number (NPN). Search the LNHPD to verify.
Side effects
- Generally well tolerated
- Mild GI upset at higher doses
Who should avoid it or check first
- Pregnant or breastfeeding without clinician guidance
- Hormone-sensitive conditions without clinician review (phytoestrogen-adjacent activity has been studied)
Interactions
- Possible interaction with CYP-metabolized drugs via cytochrome P450 modulation — discuss with a clinician
Stacks well with
What to look for on a label
- Specify "trans-resveratrol" and its purity — the trans isomer is the studied form.
References
- Kennedy 2010 — acute resveratrol cerebral blood flow RCT. Single dose (250/500 mg trans-resveratrol) increased cerebral blood flow in healthy adults but did NOT improve cognitive performance — the blood-flow effect is demonstrated, the acute cognition benefit is not. PMID 20357044. Educational, not a product claim.
- Postmenopausal resveratrol RCTs, including a 24-month trial. Extended the cerebral blood flow and memory signal in postmenopausal women over a longer dosing period. PMID 32900519. Concentrated in one research group — the honest caveat behind the B grade rather than A.
Grades and studied doses are our conservative reading of the human research, shown for education. They are not product claims, and a studied dose is not a recommended dose.
Revision history
Every change to this ingredient's evidence status, dated and explained. The full cross-library log lives at Evidence Updates.
- 2026-07-11Grade changeGrade B → Grade C
Downgraded from B to C. Acute dosing raises cerebral blood flow but did not improve cognition in healthy adults; the only positive cognition data come from a narrower postmenopausal-women population.
See how Resveratrol compares on grade, dose, and goal in the Evidence Explorer.
