Effects of resveratrol on cognitive functions

Resveratrol (RSV) is a naturally occurring polyphenol found in berries, grapes, red wine, and nuts. Based on numerous animal and human studies, it has been suggested as a possible candidate for the treatment of cardiovascular impairments, metabolic dysfunctions, and neurodegenerative diseases. Beyond that, research has started to focus on its influence on cognitive functions and animal studies have described RSV’s beneficial effects on brain structure and function. The first controlled studies in humans reported the beneficial effects of RSV administration with regard to cognitive functions, especially in older populations. Possible underlying mechanisms of RSV range from antioxidant and antiinflammatory actions to the activation of sirtuins and neuroprotective properties. Future studies should now address previous limitations such as flaws in the study design and focus on translating findings from animals to humans and eventually strengthen the hypothesis that RSV could help maintain cognitive health until old age. This chapter summarizes what is known about the effects of RSV on health outcomes with a focus on cognitive functions and possible underlying mechanisms. In addition, we discuss limitations and challenges of previous studies as well as future perspectives in RSV research