Antioxidants are a unique set of molecules that inhibit the damaging effects of normal chemical processes in living organisms. These processes produce unwanted and highly reactive free radicals, which cause a chain reaction that can result in the damage or death of a cell. Common nutrients such as vitamin C and vitamin E often double as antioxidants. Other nonessential molecules such as resveratrol also improve the health of cells. Red wine is full of antioxidants that researchers are beginning to study for their preventive effects against dangerous diseases.
Polyphenols
Researchers think a class of organic antioxidants known as polyphenols -- and in particular resveratrol -- gives red wine its beneficial properties. Polyphenols are present in fruit and especially abundant in grapes and other berries. Red wine began to draw interest as a possible avenue of research in the early 1990s. Though the research is growing more extensive by the year, not enough is actually known about the effects of resveratrol in humans to make more definitive claims about the efficacy of red wine.
Heart Disease
According to Dr. Bauer Sumpio, professor and section chief of vascular surgery at the Yale School of Medicine, two or three glasses of red wine daily may confer extra protection against heart disease. The polyphenols in red wine appear to prevent excess blood clotting and the buildup of plaque on the smooth muscles of blood vessels in the circulatory system. If this effect is borne out in future studies, it should point to a reduction in the risk of arterial blockage normally associated with heart attacks and strokes.
Cancer
One of the most intense areas of antioxidant research has been its effects on cancer. A 2008 study in the journal "Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology" by researchers from the University of Rochester found that the antioxidants from red wine can cripple the function of the mitochondria in cancerous pancreatic cells and protect normal cells from the harmful of effects of radiation. Mitochondria are special organelles that supply the cell with energy. Crippling the mitochondria theoretically kills the cell. Most of the research has focused on the study of cell cultures rather than human subjects. However, one of the human studies pointing toward the need for further research was a population-wide analysis in 2009 that concluded pre-diagnostic wine consumption may reduce the risk of death and relapse among non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients.
Life Span
Resveratrol also appears to extend the life span of mice, fish, yeast and other organisms fed a high-calorie diet. Resveratrol increased longevity by activating a protein that normally functions during times of calorie restriction. However, researchers have not yet fully studied this effect in human subjects. Preliminary studies performed on human cell cultures have demonstrated positive results, but additional research is needed to demonstrate whether this effect translates to benefits outside of the lab.
References
- ScienceDaily; Red Wine Protects the Heart; March 2005
- ScienceDaily; Mounting Evidence Shows Red Wine Antioxidant Kills Cancer; March 2008
- ScienceDaily; Drinking Wine May Increase Survival Among Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Patients; April 2009
- Oregon State University Linus Pauling Institute; Resveratrol; Jane Higdon; March 2005
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