Blueberries, red grapes, red wine, and peanuts are some of the natural sources of resveratrol — a plant compound that has received much attention in the medical community recently. New research in mice and human cells breaks down the mechanism through which resveratrol may lower blood pressure. Share on Pinterest Red grapes and some blueberries contain resveratrol. From protecting our neurons against aging to potentially preventing cancer, a significant number of studies have recently hailed the health benefits of resveratrol. Also, a lot of previous research has focused on the benefits of resveratrol for heart health. Clinical studies in rats and mice have demonstrated protective effects against stroke, heart failure, and hypertension, among other heart conditions. Although some researchers believe that the benefits of resveratrol come from its antioxidant properties, the mechanisms behind its cardioprotective effects remain unclear. New research gets closer to understanding these mechanisms, and the findings are an intriguing paradox. A team of scientists from King’s College London (KCL), in the United Kingdom, added resveratrol to the diet of mice with high blood pressure. Joseph Burgoyne, Ph.D., a senior lecturer in cardiovascular sciences at KCL, is the lead author of the study, which appears in the journal Circulation.

The effects of resveratrol in mice Burgoyne and the team induced high blood pressure in a group of wild-type mice. The researchers measured the rodent’s blood pressure with implanted telemetry probes and monitored this for 15 days. During this time, they fed the mice either a diet to which they had added resveratrol or a normal diet. By the end of the study period, the researchers noted a drop of about 20 millimeters of mercury in the blood pressure of mice that had consumed resveratrol. The scientists also discovered that resveratrol relaxed the rodents’ blood vessels by oxidizing the protein PKG1a. “Resveratrol mediates lowering of blood pressure by paradoxically inducing protein oxidation, especially during times of oxidative stress, a mechanism that may be a common feature of ‘antioxidant’ molecules,” conclude the authors. The findings are counterintuitive, in the sense that the compound is believed to be an antioxidant, but this study shows that it behaves like an oxidant in order to lower blood pressure. “We’re slowly realizing that oxidants aren’t always the villain. Our research shows that a molecule once deemed an antioxidant exerts its beneficial effects through oxidation. We think that many other so-called ‘antioxidants’ might also work in this way.” Joseph Burgoyne, Ph.D.