What is Resveratrol and Why Does It Work So Well With NMN?
What is Resveratrol and Why Does It Work So Well With NMN?
You've probably heard that red wine contains resveratrol, and that this might explain the "French paradox" — the observation that French people have relatively low rates of cardiovascular disease despite a diet high in saturated fat. The reality is more nuanced, and more interesting.
What is Resveratrol?
Resveratrol is a polyphenol — a class of plant compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It's produced by plants as a defence mechanism against stress, UV radiation, and fungal infection. It's found in the skin of red grapes, blueberries, raspberries, and dark chocolate.
The amounts in food are far too small to have therapeutic effects — a glass of red wine contains roughly 0.2–2mg of resveratrol. The doses used in research and supplementation are typically 150–500mg per day.
How Resveratrol Works: Sirtuins
Resveratrol's primary mechanism of action is through sirtuin activation — specifically SIRT1 and SIRT3. Sirtuins are proteins sometimes called "longevity genes" because of their role in regulating gene expression, DNA repair, metabolism, and cellular stress responses.
Here's the crucial link with NMN: sirtuins require NAD+ to function. Resveratrol activates sirtuins (turns them on), but without adequate NAD+, those sirtuins have no fuel to run on. It's like turning the ignition key in a car with an empty fuel tank.
This is precisely why NMN and resveratrol work synergistically. NMN raises NAD+ (the fuel), and resveratrol activates sirtuins (turns the key). Together, they produce a more complete activation of the longevity pathway than either alone.
Trans-Resveratrol vs Regular Resveratrol
There are two forms of resveratrol: cis and trans. Trans-resveratrol is the biologically active form — the one that activates sirtuins and has been used in research. Cis-resveratrol has minimal biological activity. Always check that a supplement specifies Trans-Resveratrol.
Our NMN Plus Formula
Our NMN Plus combines Nicotinamide Mononucleotide with Trans-Resveratrol and Black Pepper Extract (which significantly improves resveratrol's notoriously poor bioavailability). This is the combination David Sinclair references most frequently in his public discussions of his personal longevity protocol.
Written by Dr Chun Tang, MBChB, MRCGP — founder of Little Ox and practising UK GP.