Abstract
Science constantly seeks to identify new molecules that could be used as dietary functional ingredients in the fight against obesity and its co-morbidities. Among them, polyphenols represent a group of molecules of increasing interest. One of the most widely studied polyphenols is resveratrol (trans-3,4′,5-trihydroxystilbene), which has been proposed as an “energy restriction mimetic” because it can exert energy restriction-like effects. The aim of this review is to analyze the effects of resveratrol on obesity under different feeding conditions, such as overfeeding, normal feeding, and energy restriction, in animals and humans. The vast majority of the studies reported have addressed the administration of resveratrol to animals alongside an obesogenic diet. Under these experimental conditions usually a decreased body weight amount was found. To date, studies that focus on the effects of resveratrol under normal feeding or energy restriction conditions in animals and humans are scarcer. In these studies no changes in body fat were reported. After analyzing the results obtained under overfeeding, normal feeding, and energy restriction conditions, it can be stated that resveratrol is useful in reducing body fat accumulation, and thus preventing obesity. Nevertheless, for ethical reasons, these results have been obtained in animals. By contrast, there are no evidences showing the usefulness of this phenolic compound in reducing previously accumulated body fat. Consequently, as of yet, there is not scientific support for proposing resveratrol as a new anti-obesity treatment tool.
Highlights
Obesity is a multifactorial, chronic disease that is characterized by excessive body fat accumulation.It is considered to be a risk factor in the development of various diseases, which include hypertension, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and respiratory complications, among others [1,2]
Energy restriction reduced body and adipose tissue weights when comparing with a control group, but resveratrol addition did not induce any effect on these changes [35]
The reason that justifies this lack of effect is not the doses of resveratrol used, because resveratrol in the range of 30 to 50 mg/kg body weight/day has been demonstrated to be effective under overfeeding conditions [42,43]
Summary
Chronic disease that is characterized by excessive body fat accumulation. When the studies were conducted in fa/fa Zucker rats, a model of genetic obesity, resveratrol induced significant reductions in body fat (−10%; [36]), or visceral adipose tissue weight (−14.9%; [37]). This being the case, the reductions in body weight and body fat mass would be greater than the ones that are induced by energy restriction alone due to potential additive or synergistic effects Studies designed under these experimental conditions are scarce in the literature (Table 3); two of the three studies reported have been carried out by our research group. Energy restriction reduced body and adipose tissue weights when comparing with a control group, but resveratrol addition did not induce any effect on these changes [35]. The reason that justifies this lack of effect is not the doses of resveratrol used, because resveratrol in the range of 30 to 50 mg/kg body weight/day has been demonstrated to be effective under overfeeding conditions [42,43]
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