Resveratrol has recently attracted great interest in
connection with the the so-called "French Paradox" which
has long puzzled medical science. As a polyphenol type
flavonoid it is in any case a very useful anti-oxidant, but
many now believe it also to be the explanation of the
relatively low rates of cardiovascular disease enjoyed in
France despite a national diet traditionally rich in
cholesterol and saturated fat. The French, of course, are
also known as high per capita consumers of alcohol,
particularly in the form of red wine. Recent research
appears to have established that the consumption of alcohol
in moderation offers significant protection for the
cardiovascular system, and may even reduce the incidence of
related diseases by as much as 30%. There is good
evidence, however, that the resveratrol which is almost
unique to red wine may provide benefits which go far beyond
those which can be explained by the effects of the alcohol
alone
This is not surprising in so far as fat-soluble
anti-oxidants are known to be important protectors of the
circulatory system against damaging attack from free
radicals, and the resveratrol and other polyphenols found
in red wine are likely to be highly beneficial in this
context. Laboratory research, moreover, has revealed
significant anti-inflammatory and blood anti-coagulant
effects arising from the action of resveratrol.
But there's still more to resveratrol than this. It's
known that some potentially harmful compounds in the body
do not become carcinogenic unless and until they are
metabolised by particular enzymes. Resveratrol has been
shown in some laboratory research to help inhibit the
activity of these enzymes and it seems possible that
resveratrol may therefore have some protective effect
against certain cancers. Resveratrol has also been shown
in the laboratory to slow the proliferation of DNA damaged
cells, which have the potential to become cancerous, and to
allow time for the repair or removal of DNA damaged cells
before rapid and harmful proliferation can occur. Invasive
cancer tumours depend on specialised enzymes to allow them
to take over healthy tissue and also need to establish
their own blood supply if they are to develop. Resveratrol
has been found in the laboratory to have inhibiting effects
on both these processes, perhaps principally because of its
anti-inflammatory qualities.
Orthodox opinion, however, currently maintains that more
large scale trials are required outside the laboratory
before any protective effects of resveratrol against cancer
can be definitively established.
But the anti-inflammatory properties of resveratrol may
also have a significant protective effect in the battle
against atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), a
significant precursor of serious cardiovascular disease.
Resveratrol has also been shown to play an important role
in preventing the formation of the blood clots which if
they obstruct a coronary or cerebral artery may lead to a
heart attack or stroke, two of the leading causes of
premature death or disability in the affluent Western world.
And amazingly enough it appears that resveratrol may also
have a more direct effect in terms of increasing longevity.
A good deal of research has shown that reduced calorie
intake may increase lifespans, including those of certain
mammalian species, apparently by increasing the activity of
specific enzymes. Resveratrol has also been shown to
stimulate these enzymes and to enhance the life spans of
worms and fruit flies. It is not known whether these
findings would be replicated in higher life forms, humans
included, but there seems no logical reason why they should
not.
To obtain a significant intake of this potentially highly
beneficial compound from wine you need to concentrate on
red wine, because only this is produced by a pulp
fermentation including the red or black grape skins where
most of the resveratrol is found. As a rule of thumb, the
richer and darker the colour of the wine, the longer the
pulp fermentation will have lasted, and the more
resveratrol and other polyphenols the wine will contain.
Generally speaking it is those produced in the sunnier
latitudes which will have the highest concentration.
No toxicity issues have been reported from the intake of
resveratrol, as such, although problems of course may arise
if red wine is used to excess to achieve a desired high
intake. Supplements of resveratrol providing up to 50 mg
are now readily available, however; whilst moderate
consumption of alcohol is now generally recognised as
potential boon to health, and to be particularly protective
of the cardiovascular system. So there seems to be every
reason to continue to enjoy a couple of glasses of wine of
an evening. And your enjoyment can only be increased by
the awareness that the resveratrol it contains may well be
doing your health a power of good.
----------------------------------------------------
Steve Smith is a freelance copywriter specialising in
direct marketing and with a particular interest in health
products. Find out more at
http://www.sisyphuspublicationsonline.com/LiquidNutrition/In
formation.htm
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