Resveratrol helps counteract the effects of a high-fat diet
High-fat diet: Resveratrol helps counteract its effects
Resveratrol is able to prevent the negative effects of a diet too rich in fats. In particular, this natural molecule seems to protect cells from apoptosis, a cell death mechanism promoted by oxidative stress caused by a high-fat diet.
This was discovered by a research team from China's School of Food Science and Technology in Jiangsu (China). The findings were published in the journal Journal of Food Science.
Resveratrol: a powerful antioxidant
Resveratrol is a natural polyphenolic compound found in some foods such as grape seeds, berries, and peanuts. This molecule has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Numerous studies have shown that a diet rich in saturated fats is a significant risk factor for health and is related to increased oxidative stress. This type of diet promotes mitochondrial dysfunction—mitochondria being the organelles responsible for cellular energy production but also for generating reactive oxygen species, which cause oxidative damage. Mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the major triggers of programmed cell death (apoptosis) during oxidative stress caused by a high-fat diet. The same Chinese researchers had previously reported how various immune functions are altered in mice fed a high-fat diet, indicating that the inflammatory state observed in obese individuals may be related to excessive nutrient intake.
Protection for immune system cells
The team studied 24 mice divided into three groups: one fed a normal diet, one fed a high-fat diet, and the last one fed a high-fat diet supplemented with 0.06% resveratrol. After twenty weeks, samples from the lab animals’ blood and spleen were analyzed for counts of certain immune system cells: regulatory T cells. The analyses showed that while regulatory T cells in the blood and spleen of mice fed a high-fat diet were reduced due to apoptosis, their survival increased in animals receiving resveratrol. The molecule was also associated with decreased production of reactive oxygen species and reduced mitochondrial dysfunction, which were observed in regulatory T lymphocytes of animals on a high-fat diet. Resveratrol was also able to increase the expression of PGC-1α, a regulator of new mitochondrial formation.
Resveratrol increases mitochondria number and regulates their function
The results of this study demonstrate that resveratrol protected regulatory T cells from apoptosis induced by a high-fat diet through a complex cellular mechanism. Its action decreased oxidative stress and increased both the number and regulation of mitochondria. These results help better understand the inflammatory response induced by a high-fat diet and offer a potential intervention strategy for cellular recovery by integrating resveratrol into the diet.
Source: Wong, BIN et al. Resveratrol Preserves Mitochondrial Function, Stimulates Mitochondrial Biogenesis, and Attenuates Oxidative Stress in Regulatory T Cells of Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet. Journal of Food Science, 2014 (1).
