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A Glass of Wine is Good for You, Right?

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Headliner: Resveratrol

Resveratrol made a lot of headlines in 2006, after David Sinclair published a paper in Nature showing that rats placed on a high fat diet but given Resveratrol lived longer lives, seemingly immune to the negative effects normally associated with such a diet.

Here's a look at some of the postulated effects of Resveratrol.

Cancer chemo-prevention: inhibiting cellular activities associated with tumor initiation, promotion and progression.

Promoting lipolysis: inhibiting fat regulators, and giving similar results to being on a calorie reduced diet

Increasing energy and generating mitochondria. A 2006 study by Dr. Johan Auwerx, showed an increase in rats' treadmill performance after being given a Resveratrol supplement.

Too good to be true?

If this all sounds too good, and before rushing out to buy Resveratrol supplements, it should be noted that the research on humans is incomplete.

These studies were done on rats using very high doses of Resveratrol; the amount in a single glass of wine is very small in comparison. And, of course, as with any studies done on rats, the effects and the necessary dosage for humans is as of yet unknown.

Mandatory Warning

Every bottle of wine shows an appropriate warning as prescribed by the Surgeon General in the United States.

Pregnant women should not consume any alcohol because it’s known to cause birth defects.

Alcohol impairs a person’s mental and physical abilities. So the label on wine bottles warns people of this with specific statement that it is dangerous to drive and use heavy equipment after consuming alcohol.

Related Events

International Wine & Health Summit

Many wine consumers have rationalized opening a bottle of wine with dinner as a healthy thing. A glass of wine a day is good for you, right? Many of us have heard about the French paradox, the cream, butter and plenty of wine lifestyle that make the French so healthy.

Are we just kidding our selves or are we truly justified?

So what is the current scientific thinking? It seems the good news just keeps on coming.

At the February 2007, International Wine and Heart Health Symposium, researchers presented findings that showed not only does a moderate consumption of wine reduce the risk for coronary and vascular disease, but it also reduces the risk for ischemic stokes, diabetes and even gallstones. Further research indicated wine may help suppress E. coli bacteria, may reduce the incidence of colorectal and gastric cancer, and could even improve cognitive function as you age.

Some of the potential benefits lurking around in that glass of wine:

Ethanol: The alcohol component of wine improves haemostais and serum cholesterol, keeping your blood flowing and your bad cholesterol lower.

Flavonoids: In the skin, seeds, and pulp are phenolic compounds known as flavonoids. Flavonoids are anti-oxidizers, preventing the damage of low-density lipoproteins, a damage that is related to heart disease. Flavonoids and ethanol may combine to reduce cellular adhesions and platelets aggregation and thereby reduce blood clotting.

Resveratrol: Recent research, including a 2006 paper published in Nature magazinge by David Sinclair (see side bar), has pointed to exciting potential of this component of wine.

Resveratrol is somewhat new in research findings and will be the focus of further work. David Sinclair pointed out to Reuters News Agency, “Not many people know about it yet, but those who do have almost invariably changed their drinking habits, that is, they drink more wine.”

So while you are cutting out calories, cranking up your exercise, and balancing your diet to maximize your health benefits, you can also consider the growing knowledge about the health affects of wine and feel good about it.

Moderation, diversity and balance matters

Generally, medical professionals note, however, that more of anything to the extreme is not better. If there are benefits to drinking wine, then moderation, diversity and balance matters. There are natural and very real dangers to consumption of alcohol; all good reasons that a stern warning statement appears on all wine sold in the U.S.A.

Scientific and Medical References

Hoj PB. (2005) Better wine for better health: Fact or fiction? (review). Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research 11(2): 127-138. (160 refs.)

Joseph A. Baur, Kevin J. Pearson , Nathan L. Price, Hamish A. Jamieson, Carles Lerin, Avash Kalra, Vinayakumar V. Prabhu, Joanne S. Allard, Guillermo Lopez-Lluch, Kaitlyn Lewis, Paul J. Pistell, Suresh Poosala, Kevin G. Becker, Olivier Boss, Dana Gwinn, Mingyi Wang, Sharan Ramaswamy, Kenneth W. Fishbein, Richard G. Spencer, Edward G. Lakatta, David Le Couteur, Reuben J. Shaw, Placido Navas, Pere Puigserver, Donald K. Ingram, Rafael de Cabo and David A. Sinclair (16 November 2006) “Resveratrol improves health and survival of mice on a high-calorie diet”. Nature 444, 337-342

Wade, Nicholas (Nov 16 2006). “Red Wine Ingredient Increases Endurance, Study Shows”. New York Times.

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