Drinking red wine in moderation has been associated with a variety of health benefits. Both the alcohol and non-alcohol components of red wine contribute to the health promoting effects. According to MayoClinic.com, the antioxidant compound called resveratrol is responsible for many of the health benefits attributed to red wine. Other as yet unidentified bioactive compounds in red wine may also contribute to its health promoting effects.
Cardioprotective
The ethanol in wine and other alcoholic beverages can improve heart health in three ways: by raising levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, decreasing clot formation and preventing artery damage caused by high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.
Heart healthy benefits specific to red wine may include the protective effects of non-alcoholic components such as antioxidants on the lining of blood vessels in the heart. Nonflavanoids such as resveratrol are a type of antioxidant which may prohibit the formation of fatty blockages in blood vessels, according to the Mayo Clinic. Resveratrol appears to have specific effects on the circulatory system to decrease "bad" cholesterol, reduce inflammation in blood vessels and decrease the risk of blood clot formation.
Cancer Prevention
Some bio active compounds found in red wine can prevent or limit some forms of cancer including leukemia, skin, breast, and prostate cancers. according to the National Cancer Institute.
Red wine contains compounds called polyphenols which have antioxidant properties that can protect cells from the damaging effects of free radicals. Because cell damage from free radicals has been shown to cause cancer, preventing free-radical induced cell damage can prevent cancer.
Resveratrol is one specific type of polyphenol that is naturally found in various plants including the skin of grapes that are used in the production of red wine. Resveratol has been shown to inhibit cancer cell growth in cell culture experiments by inhibiting the action of genetic transcription factors such as NF kappa B, which affect cancer cell growth and metastasis.
Neuroprotective
Resveratrol in red wine may have a neuroprotective effect and prevent or limit the brain damage and resultant dementia from Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's Disease.
Dr. Philippe Marambaud and colleagues reported that "Resveratrol Promotes Clearance of Alzheimer's Disease Amyloid Peptides" in the November 11, 2005 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry. Formation of amyloid plaques causes the brain-killing symptoms associated with Alzheimer's Disease. Cells treated with resveratrol had fewer plaque-forming amyloid-beta proteins than cells that were untreated.
According to HOPES, the Huntington Outreach Program for Education at Stanford University, preliminary studies in mice suggest that resveratrol may have similar neuroprotective effects on Huntington Disease by decreasing inflammation, combating oxidative stress and increasing cellular energy metabolism. One hypothesis is that resveratrol may also inhibit formation of protein aggregates found in the brain of Huntington Disease patients, similar to its inhibitory effect on amyloid plaque formation found in Alzheimer's disease.
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