Resveratrol Side Effects, Benefits, Dosage, and Research Information - My Resveratrol Experience

Resveratrol Dosage, the Million Dollar Question!

How much Resveratrol should you take?

It's only been a few years since resveratrol has become more mainstream in the research community.  The research being done is still in it's infancy and as more information is made public our perceptions of what is an "appropriate dose" can change.

Research isn't the only factor in determining proper dosage.  The increase in bioavailability of resveratrol is enabling smaller doses to be more effective then prior formulations.  What is bioavailability?  In simple terms it is the amount of a drug or supplement that reaches the intended destination. (Related: Bioavailability, what does it have to do with Resveratrol?)  For resveratrol this is often measured by determining the levels present in human plasma or urine. (A detailed research report describing plasma and urine analysis of resveratrol can be found below this article.)

On an individual level our bodies metabolize resveratrol, or any supplement for that matter, differently between people.  This means what may be a good dosage for you is not necessarily right for someone else.  The trouble with this is most of us don't have access to testing the levels of resveratrol in our plasma or urine.  A more general approach is needed to determine how much resveratrol you should take.

There are currently "3 schools of thought" with regards to proper dosage:

Resveratrol Dosage: My "non-scientific" approach. (Part 3)

Prior to taking any supplements, including resveratrol, please consult your physician:

Most of the "trustworthy" resveratrol companies out there claim that 500mg per 50 pounds of body weight is a proper dosage for a human to take.  I happen to agree with this but want to add a bit more to it.  For instance, if you're a 200lb person looking to start taking trans-resveratrol then I would suggest a ramp-up period to maximum dosage.

Take it slow by beginning with a very small dose to make sure you don't have any severe reactions. The EPA has listed resveratrol as a non-toxic and numerous human trials have been completed safely,  so there "should not" be any major problems.  However, just in case, take it slow for the first few weeks.  After your body becomes familiar with resveratrol you might want to try increasing your dosage.

Resveratrol Dosage: Determining the proper dose (Part 2)

Resveratrol studies are being performed for numerous ailments by many research groups on a continuous basis.  From multiple types of cancers to diabetes, from anti-aging cures to sports endurance enhancement, if it can be related to resveratrol then the research has most likely begun.

So far, from the studies I've read, it will most likely be proven that different doses of resveratrol will be needed to treat different types of illness or to increase your physical and mental health.  I think when you first decide to take resveratrol you need to be clear what "your" intended purpose for using it is.

Unfortunately, I don't have a chart detailing how much resveratrol you should take to accomplish your specific goals.  As a matter of fact no one does, yet!  What we do have is research showing conflicting dosage evidence in non-human subjects.  The most recently published study (which I posted about 2 weeks ago) used a much lower dosage then prior studies and had some impressive results.  The dosage debate continues.

The rest of this post is just my personal opinion and is not backed-up by any scientific data at all.  I do however feel you can benefit from reading it as I did from just writing it.

Resveratrol Dosage: How much should you take? (Part 1)

This could be the number one most asked question in regards to resveratrol... how much resveratrol should I take?  The answer is not that simple however!  In actuality there may not even be a correct answer to the question.  This is my first post addressing proper human dosages but it certainly won't be the last. 

A major misconception about what a proper dose is comes from the many research studies done on rats and mice.  You have to realize that the doses given in these studies CAN NOT be transferred over identically to humans.  Why you might ask?  The reason is not so complicated but determining the correct human dose is.  Mice are obviously very different from humans; they have different metabolisms, smaller surface areas, and there cell structure is not identical to humans.