What Are the Benefits of Red Wine & Dark Chocolate?

Red wine and chocolate both contain a powerful substance known as resveratrol that has been shown in studies at Harvard School of Medicine and elsewhere to protect against several major diseases and improve quality of life in laboratory animals. Although the results of animal studies don't necessarily translate to humans, population studies of people with different eating and drinking habits also hint at similar health benefits for those who regularly consume foods and beverages containing resveratrol.

Antioxidants

Resveratrol is one of many phytochemicals, or substances found in plant foods, that are not nutrients like vitamins or minerals, but help ensure good health and fight disease. More specifically, resveratrol belongs to a class of phytochemicals known as polyphenolics, or flavonoids, which are antioxidants that protect body cells from damage that contributes to the disease process. Red wine and cocoa powder are just two food products that contain significant amounts of resveratrol.

The benefits are clear enough to promote the use of all foods and beverages rich in antioxidants, but there are currently no recommendations as to how much resveratrol from natural food and beverage sources is enough to provide health benefits. In the case of red wine and chocolate, however, the possibility of having too much of a good thing must also be considered because the side effects of overuse can clearly outweigh any potential benefits.

Protection Against Heart Disease

Speculation about the protective role of red wine in heart disease began years ago with what became known as the French Paradox. Researchers questioned how French people, as a population, could consume such a high saturated-fat diet from cheeses and meats, yet have a lower incidence of obesity and related health problems such as heart disease than other populations. Subsequent research reported in the European Journal of Endocrinology and elsewhere indicated that resveratrol in the red wine also regularly consumed by the French might protect against certain types of heart disease because it prevents blood cells from sticking together and forming clots.

In animal studies evaluated in the October 2008 issue of Nutrition Reviews, resveratrol improved insulin sensitivity and blood cholesterol levels, both of which are associated with heart disease.

Lower Cancer Risk

Researchers who analyzed data collected from more than 80,000 men in The California Men's Health Study found that men who drank one or two glasses of red wine daily had a 60 percent less chance of developing lung cancer.

The results of animal studies performed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham also showed that male mice who were fed a powdered form of resveratrol were 87 percent less likely to develop the most lethal type of prostate tumors, and if they developed less serious tumors, were 48 percent more likely to have tumors that grew more slowly or stopped growing altogether. In the same laboratory, previous studies found that female mice fed resveratrol had significantly less risk of developing breast cancer.

Blood Sugar Regulation

Flavonoids in red wine slow down the passage of food through the intestine after a meal, preventing spikes in blood sugar when food is absorbed into the bloodstream. This is a key step when managing type 2 diabetes with diet.

Protection Against Dementia

Researchers at Oxford University reported better cognitive performance and test scores among older people who regularly consumed chocolate, wine and tea, all foods that are high in flavonoids.