Resveratrol and NAC may prevent age-associated decline in skin and/or connective tissue quality. - GreenMedInfo Summary
[Efficacy study in vitro: assessment of the properties of resveratrol and resveratrol + N-acetyl-cysteine on proliferation and inhibition of collagen activity].
Minerva Ginecol. 2010 Jun;62(3):195-201. PMID: 20595944
Farcoderm srl, San Martino Siccomario, Pavia, Italy.
During and after menopause the skin shows up clearly how the lack of estrogen affects tissues, and menopause can in fact be considered a "multisystemic" disorder of connective tissue. The low menopausal estrogen levels combined with age-related skin changes, accelerating skin aging. This affects both the epidermis and the dermis: fibroblasts not only become fewer, but they produce 30% less collagen, reflecting its metabolic decline. Estrogens act on collagen synthesis by directly stimulating fibroblasts. However, hormone replacement can prevent the postmenopausal loss of collagen--or eliminate it once it has started. The results of the Women's Health Initiative study drastically changed Italian gynecologists' prescribing habits. Natural products with estrogen-like activity are increasingly accepted, since they have good effects on collagen synthesis and/or inhibit collagenase activity, with a reassuring safety profile. This was confirmed by an in vitro study that assessed the tonic-trophic properties of two treatments on cultured skin fibroblasts. Cells were treated with resveratrol either alone or combined with NAC 10-100-1000μM. There was a dose-related increase in the rate of cell proliferation and in inhibition of collagenase activity.