The below was taken from OSU's Linus Paulings Institute...makes me think needto might have something suggestion transdermal might be the way to go.
Although trans-resveratrol appears to be well-absorbed by humans when taken orally, its bioavailability is relatively low due to its rapid metabolism and elimination (7). When healthy men and women took an oral dose of 25 mg of trans-resveratrol, only traces of the unchanged resveratrol were detected in plasma (blood), while plasma concentrations of resveratrol metabolites peaked 30-60 minutes later at concentrations around 2 micromoles/liter (7, 8). The bioavailability of resveratrol from grape juice, which contains mostly glucosides of resveratrol (piceid) may be even lower than that of trans-resveratrol (9). Information about the bioavailability of resveratrol in humans is important because much of the basic research on resveratrol has been conducted in cultured cells exposed to unmetabolized resveratrol at concentrations that are often 10-100 times greater than peak concentrations observed in human plasma after oral consumption (10). Although cells that line the digestive tract are exposed to unmetabolized resveratrol, research in humans suggests that other tissues are exposed primarily to resveratrol metabolites. Little is known about the biological activity of resveratrol metabolites, and it is not known whether some tissues are capable of converting resveratrol metabolites back to resveratrol (7).
7. Walle T, Hsieh F, Delegge MH, Oatis JE, Jr., Walle UK. High absorption but very low bioavailability of oral resveratrol in humans. Drug Metab Dispos. 2004;32(12):1377-1382. (PubMed)
7. Walle T, Hsieh F, Delegge MH, Oatis JE, Jr., Walle UK. High absorption but very low bioavailability of oral resveratrol in humans. Drug Metab Dispos. 2004;32(12):1377-1382. (PubMed)
9. Meng X, Maliakal P, Lu H, Lee MJ, Yang CS. Urinary and plasma levels of resveratrol and quercetin in humans, mice, and rats after ingestion of pure compounds and grape juice. J Agric Food Chem. 2004;52(4):935-942. (PubMed)
10. Gescher AJ, Steward WP. Relationship between mechanisms, bioavailibility, and preclinical chemopreventive efficacy of resveratrol: a conundrum. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2003;12(10):953-957. (PubMed)