Beyond the yellow brick road: More on Dr. Oz and resveratrol

A couple of weeks ago I posted a piece titled “A view from the emerald city” (meaning evergreen Seattle, of course) about Dr. Mehmet Oz’s endorsement of resveratrol supplements. During one of his appearances on Oprah, he spoke favorably about resveratrol, the substance from red wine that has such impressive anti-aging properties. Since reports about resveratrol’s ability to extend lifespan in certain organisms, and its possible anti-cancer, ant-diabetes, and anti-Alzheimer’s potential, it has been widely touted. In a couple of short years it went from a substance few had heard of (and couldn’t pronounce if they had) to the latest miracle cure available from literally hundreds of internet sites. Dr. Oz is featured as a prominent endorser for some, even giving the impression that the product is his own creation.
But there are a couple of problems. First, despite the promise of resveratrol as an anti-aging remedy, it has not been proven in people. More to the point here is that it turns out that Dr. Oz has nothing to do with any of these companies. He may wish he had if anything is eventually proven about their effectiveness, but my hunch is that it will be synthetically derived pharmaceuticals based on the molecular structure of resveratrol that will prove to be the real deal. There are some uses that make sense, such as in skin care, where it can be applied directly instead of depending on absorption through the digestive tract, but in general the resveratrol supplement market has all the trappings of the snake oil salesmen that used to roam the west preying on the naïve. So kudos to Oz for staying above the fray (or behind the curtain) and remember he doesn’t really offer anything that you don’t already have: common sense about diet and exercise for the heart, and the courage and wisdom to make the right choices.