Both resveratrol and quercetin are found in red wine. Quercetin is also found in tea, leafy green vegetables, berries, ginkgo and St. John's wort. Scientists are studying these compounds as possible treatments for a number of diseases, including cancers that are induced by high levels of estrogen, such as some breast tumors.
Resveratrol
The resveratrol is a type of chemical called a polyphenol. Polyphenols are antioxidants. Structurally, resveratrol is slightly similar to the estrogen compound, estradiol. A study appearing in the June 2011 "Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology" suggests that early exposure to resveratrol protects rodents against spontaneous cancer of the mammary glands that is chemically induced. This research needs to be replicated to confirm these findings. At present, there is no evidence to suggest that this benefit could possibly be obtained by drinking red wine.
Quercetin
Quercetin is a phytoestrogen. Phytoestrogens are plant compounds that mimic human estrogens. The role that phytoestrogens play in the evolution of estrogen-related tumors such as breast cancer remains unclear. One study, published in the September 2010 "Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology," reported on the incidence of cancers in female rats that were fed quercetin every day for eight months. The quercetin did not cause an affect the rate of tumor formation. When quercetin was given to rats implanted with estrogen, it did not protect against estrogen-induced tumors; 100 percent of these animals developed breast cancers within eight months.
Other Health Claims
A study in the May 2008 "Life Science" reported on the genesis and death of fat cells in cultures to which resveratrol and quercetin were added. New fat cells, or preadipocytes, formed more slowly, and fat cell death, or apoptosis of adipocytes, occurred more rapidly when cells were given resveratrol and quercetin. This study needs to be replicated in animals and humans, because it suggests that these compounds might have anti-obesity effects.
Warnings
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved health claims involving either quercetin or resveratrol. The American Cancer Society states that while preliminary results suggest that quercetin may have some benefit against a number of diseases, scientific evidence is not reliable with regard to treatment and prevention of cancer in humans. With respect to resveratrol, MayoClinic.com reports that an individual would have to drink 60 L of red wine every day to get as much resveratrol as was used in mouse studies.
References
- American Cancer Society; Quercetin; November 2008
- "Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology"; Endocrine-Active Chemicals in Mammary Cancer Causation and Prevention; S. Jenkins, et al.; June 2011
- "Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology"; Dietary Quercetin Exacerbates the Development of Estrogen-Induced Breast Tumors in Female ACI Rats; B. Singh, et al.; June 2010
- "Life Science"; Enhanced inhibition of Adipogenesis and Induction of Apoptosis in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes with Combinations of Resveratrol and Quercetin. J.Y. Yang, et al.; March 2008
- MayoClinic.com; Red Wine and Resveratrol: Good for your Heart?; March 2011
