Can a glass of red wine a day fight Alzheimer’s? The question is at the heart of an American clinical trial which will be conducted over a period of twelve months. Animal studies have established that resveratrol has the ability to interfere with the mechanisms of aging. Scientists now want to see if this natural polyphenol, found in grapesin red wine, produces the same effects in humans.
Hope is high among participants like Bob Sessions, interviewed by USA today. The Alzheimer’s disease was diagnosed in this 86-year-old patient seven and a half years ago. He who has never drunk a single drop of alcohol in his life is eager to know if red wine can fight against his dementia. “If this experience can help people, I would feel like I contributed to a great cause. I lost members of my family to Alzheimer’s and I don’t want my daughters or my grandchildren to be victims of it as well.”
Resveratrol would prevent cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and certain cancers. And soon Alzheimer? “With this clinical trial we will find out if daily doses of pure resveratrol can delay or prevent the memory loss in people with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease,” says study leader Dr. Turner, research program director at Georgetown Medical University.
Alzheimer’s: Resveratrol to extend healthy life
Half of the participants in this study will receive doses of pure resveratrol. The other half will be given a placebo, visually similar to resveratrol pills. None of the volunteers will know whether the doses received are resveratrol or a placebo. The researchers will do tests to identify the biological markers of the disease and assess its progression. The experiment will also allow us to see if resveratrol can reduce the loss of neurons associated with Alzheimer’s. And delay the onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms.
If resveratrol shows its effectiveness, there will still be a long way to go before considering the marketing of such a treatment. But it will already be a “big step” in fact, assures Dr. Turner.
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