Red wine can be a source of antioxidants, like those found in many fruits and vegetables. One type of antioxidant, resveratrol, is found in high levels in red wine made made from dark purple grapes. Resveratrol inhibits bacterial and fungal infections, protecting you against many diseases, including Parkinson's, cancer and heart disease.
While red wine contains a complex mixture of flavonols, organic acids and ingredients that have health benefits when consumed responsibly, resveratrol stands out as the ingredient that researchers are focusing on.
Findings show that not all red wines contain the same level of resveratrol. Dr. Hoffman, from Hertfordshire University, has determined to undertake a project to identify the levels contained in various wines so consumers interested in maximizing their resveratrol intake can make informed decisions when choosing their wines.
Effects on Your Heart
Preliminary research findings show that drinking red wine helps to prevent blood vessel damage while reducing levels of bad cholesterol and blood clots. A study performed by the Israel Institute of Technology stated, "Daily red wine consumption, for 21 consecutive days, significantly enhanced vascular endothelial function." Medicine Net goes on to say, "which means it improved the health of the cells lining the blood vessels, which then improves blood flow and heart health. Drinking red wine every day also helped reduce cell death, or what is known as apoptosis."
Protection Against Cancer
According to The National Cancer Institute, in a report published in the International Journal of Cancer, "drinking a glass of red wine a day may cut a man's risk of prostate cancer in half and that the protective effect appears to be strongest against the most aggressive forms of the disease. It also showed men who consumed four or more 4-ounce glasses of red wine per week have a 60 percent lower incidence of the more aggressive types of prostate cancer."
Grapes are also rich in elegiac acid, an effective antioxidant that suppresses the development of breast cancer.
Treatment of Eye Disease
Grapes, used for red wine, produce a chemical that inhibits the production of new blood vessels, a process called angiogenesis. Angiogenesis is associated with eye diseases, like macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.
A study, published in the American Journal of Pathology, reported that "resveratrol inhibits harmful blood vessel growth in the eye."
Dr. Rajendra Apte, of the Washington University School of Medicine, stated, "The findings may improve understanding of angiogenesis in eye disease, cancer and atherosclerosis and lead to new treatments for these conditions."
It is a promising study clarifying the benefits of resveratrol in red wine and its ability to reduce new cell growth to prevent eye disease.
Other Health Benefits
In preliminary studies, scientists from Scotland and Singapore report that inflammatory disease in mice, such as appendicitis, peritonitis and sepsis, respond well to resveratrol.
A study in the journal Cellular and Molecular Biology reports research on resveratrol's ability to guard against brain diseases like Parkinson's. Numerous studies are conducting ongoing research into the benefits of red wine to help scientists understand how red wine benefits the body on a cellular level.
References
- Medical News Today: Nutrition/Diet News: Is Your Favorite Red Wine Really That Good For You?
- Medicine Net: How Red Wine Helps the Heart: Red Wine and Blood Vessel Cells
- National Cancer Institute: Red Wine and Cancer Prevention: Fact Sheet: What have red wine studies found?
- U.S. Department of Heath and Human Services: Healthfinder: Red Wine Compound Could Point to Treatment for Eye Diseases
- Wine Spectator: Recent Research Bolsters Red-Wine Compound's Health Potential
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