Resveratrol, Aging and Red Wine

For many centuries, Southern Europeans such as the French, Italian and Spanish have known that wine, specifically red wine, is a health drink if consumed in moderation. This is because studies show that red wine is rich in antioxidants.

More and more scientific studies show that red wine owes its health benefits from the high level of antioxidants called “resveratrol,” a kind of polyphenol known as “phytoalexin.”  This is a group of compound plants use to defend themselves against times of environmental stress, excessive harmful  UV rays and certain diseases such as fungus and bacteria invasions.

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Resveratrol is known to be present in the seeds and skins of processed and fermented red grapes during red wine making, with the muscadine grape showing to contain the highest level of resveratrol. In the process of making red wine, the grapes (together with its skin) goes through a long fermentation period which results in a high concentration of resveratrol in each bottle of red wine. As the skin of grapes is removed before fermentation to make white wine, white wine contains significantly less resveratrol.

As with all plants and fruit, the resulting produce depends on its geographic location, soil composition and weather conditions, and therefore, each fruit or plant will produce varying degrees of resveratrol and other nutrients. Having said that, wines from wetter cooler climates contains higher levels of resveratrol than hotter dryer climates.

Red wine wonders

Although you will need a large amount (1 litre at least) of red wine per day to get the full benefits of resveratrol for a human body, a glass or two periodically at meal times will certainly not harm your health if you are healthy. Or alternatively, you could try the natural resveratrol supplement :

Biotivia Transmax Trans-Resveratrol Dietary Supplement, Laboratory Grade, All Natural, Capsules, 60-Count Bottle

Benefits of red wine :

- Helps in the prevention of developing various neuro-degenerative illnesses and diseases. Many studies with animals show that resveratrol can help brain cells from degenerating and keep diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Huntington’s at bay. Red wine is also believed to suspend the possible progression of dementia.

- Good for the heart. Experts agree that the specific substances in red wines like tannins and flavonoids can raise the levels of good cholesterol or high-density lipoproteins (HDL) in the person’s blood. The red wine’s antioxidant
properties can also help in the reduction of bad cholesterol or low-density lipoproteins (LDL). Lower LDL levels mean there is a lesser chance of developing cardiovascular problems such as heart attacks and stroke.

- Prevents certain cancers. Although research is inconclusive, resveratrol has shown to inhibit certain tumor growth which it can have direct contact with, such as skin and gastrointestinal tract tumors. However, it has not been proven effective against already existing tumors. As such, it is essential that your qualified physician should be consulted before taking resveratrol for any cancer or tumor related treatment.

- Provides healthy skin. For people who are looking at maintaining youthful skin, red wine can be a good health drink option because the number of polyphenols present in an average consumption can prevent the damages brought by the cell oxidation processes.

The research for resveratrol continues. Other than red wine, other foods such as peanuts and blueberries have also proven to have decent levels of resveratrol. Rather than rely solely on supplements, eat a healthy varied diet as each plant’s complex chemicals are still to be understood and not all compounds can be made into supplements.

Barbara Walters on Resveratrol, Aging and Red Wine

Related articles for resveratrol, aging and red wine

• Drink Wine, Age Gracefully (wineweekly.com)
• Doctors Share Longevity Secrets on CBS Broadcasts (prweb.com)