Many people were wondering what was so great about red wine and why was it good for the heart, the answer is resveratol. Resveratrol is a chemical compound found in certain plants. It is called a phytoalexin because plants naturally produce it as an antibiotic substance to fight both bacteria and fungi. Plants containing resveratrol include the grapes and skins of grapes that produce wine, raspberries, mulberries, blueberries and cranberries. However, the amount of resveratol in red wine is minimal. Probably the best common food source if one wants to consume resveratrol in its natural state is peanuts. Peanuts have significantly higher resveratrol content than do any berries or grapes that produce the chemical. This idea of drinking moderate consumptions of red wine is called the "French paradox" because French people have low cardiovascular mortality rates even though they eat foods high in fats. I found an article from the mayo clinic website that lays out the benefits of resveratol in layman's terms. I also found an article from a study that uses resveratol to reduce infarct size and improving ventricular function after myocardial ischemia in rats. The study proves that resveratol is a cardioprotective agent. I will post both the article and the study for those of you that are interested in drinking red wine to save your ticker.
This is the article:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/red-wine/HB00089
This is the study:
http://zp9vv3zm2k.ssscom.ezproxy2.library.arizona.edu/OpenURL_local?sid=Entrez:PubMed&id=pmid:18639559
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9 comments:
I know a lot of people were wondering what makes red wine so different from white wine. Well the thing that makes red wine red has nothing to due with dye--because wine has no dye in it. It is the skin that makes it red. So that is very interesting that you say that the amount of resveratol in red wine is minimal. How much is there compared to white wine?
I drink a glass of red wine every night because of the supposed health benefits, so I found this very interesting. I'm surprised that peanuts contain more of the same celebrated compound! Still, having a glass of peanuts with dinner just isn't the same....
I was wondering if anyone has learned of specific types of red wines that are more cardio-protective than their counterparts (i.e.-shiraz, pinot nior, merlot, etc...).
I don't know exactly what red wines are the healthiest, but I did read a article that is related. It's called "Scientists discover where the world's healthiest wines are grown". I read some of the articles and it says that "Wines from Nuoro province in Sardinia, and the Gers departement in the foothills of the Pyrenees, are particularly rich, containing up to 10 times more of the beneficial compounds than alternatives from Australia, South Africa and the United States." It also mentions that wine should be drank in moderation.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article654413.ece
After the comment by Morganr, I also wondered about the amount of resveratol in white wine. After some searching, I found one google answer on the subject - not exactly the most scientific source, but it says 10 times less.
This is for the reasons that Morganr mentioned - that resveratol is found in leaves, twigs, bark, etc. Red wine is fermented with the skin, seeds, and often twigs, bark etc., so it has more than white, which is fermented with just the grape's juice.
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=377818
Ok guys I did a little bit of researching and found a few papers on PubMed when i typed in red wine vs. white wine. One study said white wines lack polyphenols that red wines have and the other article mentioned that grapes are not fermented in the process of white wine production.
I am just curious as to whether or not any other types of alcohol are benficial to your health? As good as red wine is, there's nothing like a cold beer to end the day!
hummm...daily drinking. Alcohol dependence?
A bottle of red and bottle of white, but more berries and peanut butter! And water!
Im glad to hear that my occasional consumption of red wine at dinner is helping my heart! Although, I didnt know this idea was related to the French having lower cardiovascular risks because they consume so much red wine. I do prefer white wine so I wonder how white wine is related to red and the amount of resveratol. I also found it interesting about peanuts containing resveratol, if you didnt drink wine, why not just eat grapes?
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