Q I know that you have been a proponent of the polyphenol resveratrol, but I was wondering if you agree that perhaps there should be a “call for caution,” as loosely suggested by Durk & Sandy in the November 2006 issue
(page 25). There they wrote, “. . . many polyphenols inhibit aromatase. . . . unless required for treatment of a serious condition, such as cancer, men should probably not take powerful systemic aromatase inhibitors.” Do you think this was a case of not providing enough cofactors to the study animals, or is something deeper occurring here?
MARK, Kansas City, MO
A This becomes a problem only when pharmacological amounts are taken, i.e., above about 1 gram/day. See the editorial,
“Is Resveratrol an Exercise Pill?” in the January 2007 issue.