Resveratrol and Pterostilbene: Trial Evidence
Resveratrol from human data: no link to mortality in older adults, better glucose control only in people with diabetes, and no trial for longevity.
Researched from published studies and manufacturer specifications, checked .
We have not tested products ourselves. How we research
Quick verdict
Resveratrol has not been shown to extend human life. In 783 older Italian adults, urinary resveratrol metabolites did not predict mortality, and a meta-analysis of 11 trials found better glucose control only in people with diabetes. We found no trial that compares resveratrol with pterostilbene for outcomes.
Talk to your doctor first. This is general information, not medical advice. Supplements and devices can interact with medicines and health conditions. We quote study protocols for context and do not recommend doses.
The short answer: resveratrol has no human evidence for longer life. In 783 older Italian adults, urinary resveratrol metabolites did not predict mortality, and a meta-analysis of 11 randomised trials found better glucose control only in people with diabetes, not in people without it. We found no trial comparing resveratrol with pterostilbene for outcomes, so claims that one is better rest on absorption arguments, not results. Talk to your doctor before starting.
What the evidence shows
Grades follow the rubric; overall grade: Weak.
| Question | Grade | Evidence | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mortality | Weak | Semba 2014: 783 adults 65+, 268 deaths over 9 years; lowest vs highest quartile of urinary resveratrol metabolites, HR 0.80 (CI 0.54 to 1.17); no association with inflammation, cardiovascular disease or cancer | Dietary exposure, observational |
| Glucose control | Weak, only in diabetes | 11 RCTs, 388 people: improvements in people with diabetes; no significant effect in non-diabetic participants | Small trials |
| Pterostilbene | Not shown alone | The only trial we found combined it with NR: Jensen 2022, 32 adults aged 55 to 80; dose used in that trial: NR 1,000 mg plus pterostilbene 200 mg daily; outcome was muscle stem cell response after induced muscle injury | The trial found no effect: the combination did not improve muscle stem cell recruitment or other recovery measures after injury (safe at that dose). It is a combination product, so it cannot separate pterostilbene either way |
What the labels say, and what they cost
No trial gives a resveratrol dose we could use as a cost basis (the two studies above measured dietary exposure and pooled many doses), so this page prices the bottle, not a target. Every dose column below is a label statement, and the label wording matters: a capsule can list the weight of the extract, or of the trans-resveratrol inside it. Prices are one-time list prices from brand pages and storefront data, read 29 Sept 2026, USD, before tax and shipping; arithmetic ours.
| Product | Price | Label statement | Per 100 mg of the stated amount | Testing stated | Stock |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nutricost Organic Resveratrol | $25.97 | 600 mg per serving, 60 servings | $0.072 | none read | in stock |
| Nutricost Resveratrol Capsules | $24.97 | 700 mg per serving of 2 capsules, 120 capsules (60 servings). The supplement-facts image reads “Resveratrol 700 mg (from Japanese knotweed root, standardized to 50% trans-resveratrol from 1,400 mg Japanese knotweed)”, so 700 mg is trans-resveratrol, taken from 1,400 mg of extract; the product text’s “each capsule delivers 700 mg” contradicts the label and is disregarded | $0.059 per 100 mg of trans-resveratrol | “third-party tested for potency and purity”; made in an NSF certified facility (not a product certification) | in stock |
| Double Wood Resveratrol | $19.95 | 500 mg per serving of 2 capsules (Japanese knotweed root standardised to 50% trans-resveratrol, so 250 mg trans-resveratrol); 120 capsules | $0.067 per 100 mg of extract, $0.133 per 100 mg of trans-resveratrol | third-party tested, self-stated | backordered on 29 Sept |
| Nutricost Pterostilbene | $24.97 | 100 mg per capsule, 120 capsules | $0.208 | third-party testing stated, no certifier | in stock |
| Double Wood Pterostilbene | $19.95 | capsule count not read; a recent batch result on its page: 98.24 mg per capsule against a 90 to 125 mg claim | not calculated | ISO-lab batch results, self-stated | backordered on 29 Sept |
Three points follow. Comparing “500 mg” with “700 mg” without asking what is being weighed can mislead by a factor of two: per 100 mg of trans-resveratrol, Nutricost’s 700 mg capsules cost about $0.06 against Double Wood’s $0.13. The organic Nutricost product’s 600 mg is not identified as extract or trans-resveratrol on its page. Nutricost pterostilbene costs about three times as much per 100 mg as its resveratrol, with no outcome trial showing it does more (the case for it rests on absorption, not on results). And none of these products has been shown to improve any health outcome in healthy people. For certifiers and what “third-party tested” means, see what each certification checks.
Where it sits: graded ladder. Related: NAD+ boosters, NMN, and the cost per study dose table, which prices the NR plus pterostilbene products at their trial dose where we could.
Method note
Researched from PubMed abstract records and brand pages (29 Sept 2026; arithmetic ours). Abstracts only; grades are our judgement using the published rubric. We did not test any product. General information, not medical advice: this page gives no dose.
Common questions
Does resveratrol extend lifespan in humans?
Not shown. In the InCHIANTI cohort of 783 adults aged 65 and older, total urinary resveratrol metabolites were not associated with all-cause mortality, inflammatory markers, cardiovascular disease or cancer. This is observational data on dietary exposure, not a supplement trial.
Does resveratrol improve blood sugar?
A 2014 meta-analysis of 11 RCTs (388 people) found resveratrol improved fasting glucose, insulin, HbA1c and insulin resistance in people with diabetes but had no significant effect on glycemic measures in people without diabetes.
Sources
- Resveratrol levels and all-cause mortality in older community-dwelling adults (JAMA Intern Med 2014) checked 29 Sept 2026
- Resveratrol and glucose control, meta-analysis of 11 RCTs (Am J Clin Nutr 2014) checked 29 Sept 2026
- NR plus pterostilbene after muscle injury in older adults, RCT (JCI Insight 2022) checked 29 Sept 2026
- Nutricost, resveratrol capsules, organic resveratrol and pterostilbene (storefront data, product pages and the resveratrol supplement-facts image) checked 29 Sept 2026
- Double Wood, resveratrol (500 mg extract, 250 mg trans-resveratrol per serving) and pterostilbene checked 29 Sept 2026
Update log
- Independent audit against the PubMed abstracts and brand pages: Nutricost resveratrol form resolved from its supplement-facts image (700 mg trans-resveratrol from 1,400 mg of knotweed extract per serving); the pterostilbene combination trial's null result added; stock wording corrected; every price and per-100 mg figure recomputed, unchanged.
- Added a label and price table for five resveratrol and pterostilbene products, flagging extract weight versus trans-resveratrol.
- Sourcing pass: removed unsourced bioavailability comparisons, dose advice and brand claims; added two human studies on resveratrol and the pterostilbene combination trial.
Data and comparisons
- Resveratrol evidence record
A polyphenol that activates sirtuins (SIRT1)
- NMN evidence record
A direct NAD+ precursor that restores declining NAD+ levels with age
- NR evidence record
An alternative NAD+ precursor with more human trial data than NMN
- Quercetin evidence record
A senolytic flavonoid that clears senescent ("zombie") cells
- NMN vs NR: Which NAD+ precursor is better?
No head-to-head trial; both raise blood NAD+, outcomes mixed
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