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High-dose resveratrol supplementation in obese men: an investigator-initiated, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial of substrate metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and body composition

Poulsen MM et al. · 2013 · Diabetes · Atlas ID POU2013

What this study shows

4 weeks of high-dose resveratrol had no effect on insulin sensitivity, blood pressure, or body composition - directly contradicting the promising rodent data that drove the original hype.

Abstract

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Obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia constitute risk factors for morbidity and premature mortality. Based on animal and in vitro studies, resveratrol reverts these risk factors via stimulation of silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 1 (SIRT1), but data in human subjects are scarce. The objective of this study was to examine the metabolic effects of high-dose resveratrol in obese human subjects.

Read the full abstract on PubMed →

At a glance

Evidence type H Human study Marked H because it is direct evidence from a human clinical trial or human cohort; the code names the kind of study, not its quality -- a small, well-run trial is still H.
Study type2 - Human Clinical Trial
Model systemHumans, RCT, obese men (n=24)
JournalDiabetes
Year2013
Peer reviewedYes
Record last updated2026-08-22
SourceDOI 10.2337/db12-0975 · PMID 23193181 · Free full text (PMC3609591)

Extracted findings

InterventionResveratrol (high-dose)
TargetSIRT1 (mTOR-adjacent)
ModelHuman – RCT (obese men, n=24)
EffectHigh-dose resveratrol did NOT improve insulin sensitivity, substrate metabolism or body composition in obese men (negative trial)
DoseHigh-dose resveratrol daily for 4 weeks vs placebo; investigator-initiated randomized double-blind parallel-group trial.
Sample size26 obese men enrolled; 1 dropout (claustrophobia), 1 excluded (rash) -> ~24 analyzed.
Effect sizeNEGATIVE trial: no significant change in insulin sensitivity, resting energy expenditure, respiratory quotient, glucose/lipid oxidation, inflammatory biomarkers, leptin, or liver function.
LimitationsSmall sample; null result contradicts the SIRT1/CR-mimetic hype for resveratrol.

In the Atlas

Related topics

Insulin resistanceResveratrol

Open questions that cite this study

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Cite this paper

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Poulsen, M. M., et al. (2013). High-dose resveratrol supplementation in obese men: an investigator-initiated, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial of substrate metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and body composition. Diabetes. https://doi.org/10.2337/db12-0975

@article{POU2013,
  author       = {Poulsen, M. M. and others},
  title        = {{High-dose resveratrol supplementation in obese men: an investigator-initiated, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial of substrate metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and body composition}},
  journal      = {Diabetes},
  year         = {2013},
  doi          = {10.2337/db12-0975},
  note         = {PMID: 23193181},
}

Cite this Atlas record

The record is the Atlas's own work — the evidence label, the extracted findings and the links. It is cited as part of the dataset, not as the paper. 

Barton, O. (2026). Oliver's mTOR Atlas (record POU2013) [Data set]. https://mtor-atlas.org/study/POU2013/ · Dataset DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22059963

@misc{atlas_POU2013,
  author       = {Barton, Oliver},
  title        = {{Oliver's mTOR Atlas}, record POU2013},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://mtor-atlas.org/study/POU2013/},
  doi          = {10.5281/zenodo.22059963}
}