Red wine, like other alcoholic beverages, carries with its use the risk of problem drinking and alcoholism. However, studies over the past decade have concluded that red wine also has a health benefit.
Ever since airing a segment titled the “French Paradox” by the popular CBS news program 60 Minutes, red wine sales have increased, with drinkers persuaded by data which concluded that it was the French appetite for red wine that was responsible for a lower rate of heart disease.
Research has documented that it was not the alcohol in red wine that helped to prevent heart disease and other health problems, but researchers have agreed that the purported health giving ingredient was resveratrol.
Now, it appears that consumers can get this ingredient without the risk of consuming alcohol, as it is available in daily supplements, beverages and even a nutritional bar claimed by sellers to help you live longer and help prevent heart disease, cancer and other diseases.
Until recently, the evidence for resveratrol has come from animal study data, but preliminary human testing has yielded intriguing results.
Resveratrol is a substance found in grapes and other plants. Many of the supplements on the market extract it from the Japanese knotweed plant, which is a plentiful and inexpensive source. Switzerland’s Royal DSM NV sells a synthetic version called resVida, which is found in supplements, a non-alcoholic fruit-flavored beverage and the new Winetime chocolate-fruit bar.
Resveratrol has been found in animal studies to prevent or slow progression of illnesses from cancer to cardiovascular disease – and even to extend the life span of some organisms. Since 2008, at least five human studies have been presented at scientific meetings showing human benefits, ranging from improved blood flow to the heart to better control of diabetes.
The newest results are exciting, but some scientists say it is too early for the public to begin taking supplements, which contain as much resveratrol in one pill as dozens or hundreds of bottles of wine, depending on the dose. The proper dose for humans isn’t yet known – and more isn’t necessarily better.
Joseph C. Maroon, a neuroscientist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center who has written a book on resveratrol, agrees that more studies are needed but doesn’t think it’s unreasonable to take a moderate dose of resveratrol.
Dr. Maroon says animal data suggest 50 to 1,000 milligrams a day is an effective dose; he take 300 milligrams daily – which he says contains the same amount of resveratrol in some 150 bottles of wine.
No one knows exactly how resveratrol works, but scientists believe it activates a wide range of genes, creating a cascade-like effect on a variety of body functions.
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, human data from recent studies of the effects of resveratrol found lowered blood glucose levels in diabetics using proprietary formulations as well as improved vision in older persons who had difficulty with night driving.
The visual measures were subjective, but researchers also found a significant decrease in lipofuscin, a granular substance that builds up in aging tissues and is linked to vision decline, says researcher Stuart Richer, chief of optometry at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in North Chicago.
In addition, Dr. Maroon and colleagues reported that a three-month study found a resveratrol-containing supplement not yet on the market increased endurance on a stationary bicycle compared with a placebo, and also increased verbal memory scores on a standard test.
-From Monday Morning Report, Volume 34, Number 3, February 8, 2010
Reprinted with permission
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