Resveratrol supplements do not reduce LDL-cholesterol levels

Objectives:
New studies indicate that resveratrol can significantly reduce plasma lipids, but the result of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) on resveratrol effect and the serum lipid profile are contradictory. Therefore, this review article (meta-analysis) has been conducted.  

Do resveratrol supplements reduce plasma lipids, like cholesterol levels?

Study design:
This review article included 21 RCTs.

Results and conclusions:
The investigators found resveratrol supplements had no significant effects on both:
-total cholesterol (TC) [WMD = 0.08 mmol/L, 95% CI = -0.23 to 0.08, p = 0.349, I2 = 87.8%];
-low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C or bad cholesterol) [WMD = -0.04 mmol/L, 95% CI = -0.21 to 0.12, p  = 0.620, I2 = 93.4%] and;
-high density lipoprotein (HDL-C or good cholesterol) [WMD = -0.01 mmol/L, 95% CI = -0.04 to 0.02, p = 0.269, I2 = 88.6%].

The investigators found resveratrol supplements had significant effects on
triacylglycerol (TG) [WMD = 0.58 mmol/L, 95% CI = 0.34 to 0.82, p 0.0001, I2 = 99.8%]. But after removing 1 study the significance was eliminated.

The investigators also found that sex, age, BMI, resveratrol dosage and intervention duration could not change the results.

The investigators concluded that resveratrol supplements do not change lipid profile concentration, like cholesterol levels. Confirmation of this conclusion will require more studies exclusively on dyslipidemic patients in which the intake of lipid lowering agents is among the exclusion criteria.

Original title:
Effect of resveratrol on lipid profile: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis on randomized clinical trials by Haghighatdoost F and Hariri M.

Link:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29305228

Additional information of El Mondo:
Find more information/studies on resveratrol and cholesterol right here.