Scientists have long pondered the “French paradox” in which French people with significant rates of smoking still have very long life spans. It has been felt this may be due in part to a healthful benefit of red wine in their diet. Resveratrol is a compound found in red wine which some scientists feel may be the chemical responsible for the “French paradox.”  Many have touted resveratrol as an “anti-aging” supplement. Unfortunately, resveratrol supplements have not yet been shown to produce the cardiac benefits of moderate wine consumption, but some health benefits of resveratrol supplements have been observed in management of Type 2 diabetes and possibly even in Alzheimer’s disease. The question has come up as to whether resveratrol supplements would be beneficial to the health of the eye. One study has suggested that resveratrol can suppress some of the abnormal blood vessels seen in “wet” macular degeneration. There have even been anecdotal reports of some degree of reversal of macular degeneration in patients given over the counter resveratrol supplements. At this point, however, I would consider the scientific evidence to support the use of resveratrol for eye health to be inconclusive. Several better studies, however, are currently underway and we may soon learn more about the potential health benefits of resveratrol to the human eye.