Resveratrol is the secret ingredient in red wine that's responsible for red wine drinkers' impressively low rates of heart disease, MayoClinic.com reports. Resveratrol is a powerful antioxidant that combats free radicals that cause heart disease. But resveratrol's health benefits don't end at your heart. Drinking resveratrol-rich red wine can combat cancer, slow aging and reduce chronic inflammation.
Inflammation
Inflammation is a contributor to many of this century's most common chronic diseases. Development of conditions like Alzheimer's disease and type 2 diabetes have been linked to rampant inflammation in the body. Resveratrol may reduce your body's proinflammatory mechanisms. In a study published in the journal "Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology" in January 2004, resveratrol was added to lung cells in a test tube. Reservatrol significantly reduced inflammation and might help treat diseases stemming from inflammation. No research studies have investigated reservatrol's ability to combat inflammation in humans.
Heart Disease
Individuals that consume moderate amounts of red wine have lower heart disease rates than people who don't, according to the American Heart Association. The resveratrol in red wine lowers "bad" LDL cholesterol, improves the flexibility of blood vessels and reduces blood clot formation -- three important factors in the development of heart disease. However, many of the research studies linking resveratrol to heart disease risk factors have been done in mice and not humans.
Cancer
Reservatrol inhibits the growth of cancerous tumor cells in test tubes, the Linus Pauling Institute reports. Cancerous cells of the lung, esophagus and intestine are particularly sensitive to the effects of reservatrol. Most of the research investigating resveratrol on cancer risk have been done in animal models and test tube cultures.
Aging
Mice given large doses of reservatrol live longer than those that don't, notes the Linus Pauling Institute. Reservatrol boosts the activity of the anti-aging enzyme known as Sir2 that's responsible for the longevity-boosting effects of strict caloric restriction seen in mice. Resveratrol has been shown to increase the activity of Sir2 in human cell cultures as well.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Snacks: Red wine and resveratrol: Good for your heart?
- Linus Pauling Institute: Reservatrol
- "Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology": Anti-inflammatory effects of resveratrol in lung epithelial cells: molecular mechanisms
- American Heart Association: Alcohol, Wine and Cardiovascular Disease
