Resveratrol reduces the levels of circulating androgen precursors but has no effect on, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, PSA levels or prostate volume. A 4-month randomised trial in middle-aged men.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Randomized placebo-controlled trial in humans
PubMed 25939591 · doi:10.1002/pros.23006
What was done
In a randomized placebo-controlled trial, 66 middle-aged men with metabolic syndrome received either placebo or one of two doses of resveratrol (150 mg or 1,000 mg daily) for 4 months. Investigators evaluated the effects on CT-measured prostate size, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and circulating sex steroid hormones.
What was found
At baseline, prostate size correlated positively with PSA (R = 0.34, P < 0.007) and age (R = 0.37, P < 0.003), but not with testosterone, free testosterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), or androgen precursors. Compared to placebo, the 1,000 mg dose lowered serum androstenedione by 24% (P = 0.052), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) by 41% (P < 0.01), and DHEA-sulphate (DHEAS) by 50% (P < 0.001). However, prostate size, PSA, testosterone, free testosterone, and DHT remained unchanged. No numerical values were provided in the abstract for the 150 mg dose group.
Why it matters
Despite preclinical and animal models suggesting resveratrol reduces prostate growth, this randomized human trial shows high-dose resveratrol lowers upstream androgen precursors but fails to reduce prostate volume, PSA, or active androgens.
Limits
The sample size was small (n = 66 across three arms) and the intervention duration was limited to 4 months. The study evaluated men with metabolic syndrome rather than patients with clinically diagnosed benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostate cancer. Numerical results for the 150 mg dose were omitted from the abstract.
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