More Good News Involving Wine

So we’ve learned all about the antioxidant capabilities of the polyphenols in wine, but what about the other health benefits of some of these compounds? One in particular, resveratrol, has been linked to many health benefits including life extension, cancer prevention, and even lowering blood-sugar levels. Resveratrol is produced naturally by plants that are being attacked by things like bacteria or fungi, but they are also found in the skins of red grapes and are therefore present in red wine.

Human testing has been limited with this compound, but it has been shown that it can extend the median life of flies, worms, and even fish by a significant amount. Animal studies have also shown that it is effective against cancer as long as it can be delivered to the necessary areas in significant amounts. The only time that a study using humans has had positive results with resveratrol was in a study that showed how high doses of it significantly lowered blood sugar levels.

The exact mechanisms of resveratrol are not well understood, but it has been shown to activate different enzymes, and in some cases, cause apoptosis (programmed cell death) which could explain some of their anti cancer properties. Although resveratrol may not end up making us live longer, cancer free lives, it does give us another reason to keep drinking red wine.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resveratrol