Vitamin C and resveratrol in postmenopausal women
What it found
In postmenopausal women with insulin resistance, three months of vitamin C and/or resveratrol reduced some markers of oxidative stress but did not change insulin resistance.
The study was small and had no untreated control group.
What they found
Studies in people
Lipid damage
In the resveratrol plus vitamin C group, lipohydroperoxides fell by 33%. There was no significant change in the resveratrol-only or vitamin C-only groups.
MDA levels
Malondialdehyde (MDA) dropped in all three groups: by 26% with resveratrol, 32% with resveratrol plus vitamin C, and 38% with vitamin C.
Protein damage
Protein carbonylation decreased in all groups. The largest drop was 39% in the resveratrol plus vitamin C group, followed by 29% in the other two groups.
Antioxidant capacity
Total antioxidant capacity rose by 30% in the resveratrol plus vitamin C group and by 28% in the vitamin C group.
Insulin resistance
The HOMA-IR index showed no significant differences in any of the three groups after three months.
What the authors conclude
“Supplementation with resveratrol and vitamin C significantly decreases lipohydroperoxides and carbonylation.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that supplementation with resveratrol and vitamin C significantly decreases lipohydroperoxides and carbonylation.
- They state that vitamin C increased the total antioxidant capacity of postmenopausal women with insulin resistance by up to 33%.
- They suggest that a study be carried out with an appropriate sample size.
How it was done
Postmenopausal women have increased oxidative stress due to hormonal changes, which can raise the risk of heart and metabolic problems. The authors wanted to see whether resveratrol and vitamin C, alone or together, could reduce this oxidative stress.
They randomly assigned 42 postmenopausal women with insulin resistance to three months of resveratrol, resveratrol plus vitamin C, or vitamin C. Blood markers of oxidative stress and insulin resistance were measured before and after treatment.
What it can’t tell you
- The study had no control group that received no antioxidant treatment, so it cannot show what would have happened without any supplement.
- The small number of women and the short duration mean the results may not apply to all postmenopausal women.
- The findings are from women in the Valley of Mexico, so they may not generalise to other populations.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
- Authors work at
- National Institute of Perinatology, Mexico; National Institute of Genomic Medicine, Mexico
The paper
- Title
- The Administration of Resveratrol and Vitamin C Reduces Oxidative Stress in Postmenopausal Women-A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Montoya-Estrada A, García-Cortés AY, Romo-Yañez J, et al (2024). The Administration of Resveratrol and Vitamin C Reduces Oxidative Stress in Postmenopausal Women-A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu16213775Free full textPubMed 39519608DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error