Some studies show red wine
to be very beneficial to our
health, mainly the
circulatory system
is affected. The
following article is an old article that
appeared in the www.gg2.net
website.
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Red wine is good for you
Researchers say they have discovered the key component in red wine
that explains the so-called French Paradox, or the way the French
can eat lots of cheese, buttery sauces and other rich foods and
still suffer less heart disease than Americans. The explanation is
pigments known as polyphenols. The pigments are not present in
white wine or rose, and they seem to be less potent when they are
present in grape juice. Polyphenols inhibit the production of
a peptide that contributes to hardening of the arteries, researchers
report in Thursday’s issue of the journal Nature.
In laboratory dish experiments, polyphenols in red wine decreased
the amount of the peptide endothelin-1 produced by cells taken from
the blood vessels of cows. Endothelin-1 is a potent blood vessel
constrictor, and overproduction of the compound is thought to be a
key factor in why arteries clog with fatty deposits, said the
researchers from the William Harvey Research Institute at the London
School of Medicine & Dentistry.
In the study, the cow cells were exposed to extracts from 23 red
wines, four white wines, one rose and one type of red grape juice.
Researchers found the decrease in endothelin-1 levels was related to
the amount of polyphenols in the wines. The white and rose
wines, which contain little or none of the pigment, had no effect on
endothelin-1 levels. Red grape juice, which has plenty of the
pigment, was markedly less potent in reducing endothelin-1 than red
wine. The researchers said that suggests that something in the
winemaking process changes the pigment’s properties.
Researchers believe the pigment comes from red wine skins. In
white wine and rose, the grape skins are taken out before
fermentation. The type of grape also appeared to matter.
Four of the six most effective red wines used in the study were made
entirely or partially from cabernet sauvignon grapes. "The key
message is moderate consumption of red wine is likely to prevent
heart disease, but we have no evidence that white wine or rose would
have a similar benefit," said Roger Corder, who led the study.
The lower incidence of heart disease in France, despite a diet rich
in butter and other fats, has led researchers to look to the
consumption of red wine, another staple of the French diet.
Other studies have shown red wine helps fight heart disease, and
scientists have theorized that the benefits are caused by
antioxidant compounds that prevent or slow the damaging effects of
oxygen on the body. Corder’s research shows a different
mechanism altogether. He said it is a more plausible
explanation for the French Paradox. David Klurfeld, a
researcher at Wayne State University who linked red wine and a
reduction in heart disease in 1981, noted that the cells were tested
in a dish and said it is unclear how polyphenols work in the body.
However, he said, the research opens another pathway that should be
pursued. "Is this the only mechanism, or is it a combination?
There’s not enough evidence that points us in any direction,"
Klurfeld said. "We’re basically playing spin the wine bottle
here".