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, and 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.
829 natural health products with an active licence 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, part of why the grade is C rather than B.
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.
