The risk of periodontal (i.e. gum) disease is three times higher in patients with diabetes than people without diabetes. In fact, periodontal disease increases insulin resistance and may disturb blood sugar control in diabetes patients.
This is especially significant because the World Health Organization statistics estimated that 382 million people in 2013 have diabetes. By 2030 it is expected to reach 438 million people diagnosed with diabetes.
Peridontal disease at its core is an inflammatory condition that has been suggested to increase hemoglobin A1c, fasting blood sugar (FBS), and inflammatory markers in patients with diabetes.
Resveratrol is a polyphenol in the class off stilbenes naturally found in grapes, peanuts, pistachios, and cranberry. 
Resveratrol is known to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial activity that could play an important role in diabetes patients with periodontal disease.
A recent study published in Phytotherapy Research tested resveratrol to determine if resveratrol could be of benefit in patients with diabetes.
Here are the study details:
Study design: double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial
Resveratrol: 480 mg of resveratrol was administered daily in a capsule. 480 mg of Polygonum cuspidatum extract standardized to contain 240 mg of resveratrol was used.
Other medications: During the study, all subjects used any usual blood glucose-lowering medications prescribed already.
Number of patients: 22 in control group and 21 in resveratrol group
Here are the main results:
– Fasting blood glucose reduced from 8.51 to 7.9 with resveratrol after 4 weeks
– Insulin levels reduced from 11.32 to 10.42*
– Triglycerides decreased from 147 to 135*
– Peridontal status decreased from 3.54 to 2.35*
*statistically significant.
Here are some comments from the authors of the study:
In the present study, resveratrol supplementation improved insulin resistance and periodontal status in patients with diabetes with periodontal disease after 4 weeks. Therefore, with regards to nutritional recommendations, using resveratrol supplementation may be beneficial in patients with diabetes with periodontal disease.
Take away message: The results of this study suggest resveratrol could help improve insulin levels and blood sugar control. The form of resveratrol used in this study was from a plant known as polygonum cuspidatum which contained 50% resveratrol. Future studies will need to perform a longer clinical trial to determine if resveratrol can maintain or further improve biomarkers in patients with diabetes and periodontal disease.
Reference: Phytotherapy Research. 2017; Volume 31 (Issue 1): Pages 108-114.
His research on plant medicine has led to more than 45 publications and abstracts.This research has been presented at international meetings in the USA, France, Turkey, Peru, Israel, Austria, and Italy.
Categories: Antioxidant, Clinical Trials, Diabetes, Inflammation, Plant Medicine