- By Henry Stark
- Around Town
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Many studies show that there's something we can ingest that's amazingly beneficial to our health. It's close at hand, easy to find, and most of can afford it. It contains powerful antioxidants that protect our cells from damage caused by those dastardly unstable molecules which we call free radicals. This wonderful substance can also reduce our susceptibility to heart disease. It can lower our incidences of stroke. It probably protects us from cancer. It can ward off neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, and it can even improve dental health and prevent gum disease. Do you know what I'm referring to? If not, would you like to? Then read on...
The panacea I refer to is.... Drum roll please.... red wine. That's it: red wine.
Let's take it step by step:
The two most powerful antioxidants found in red wine are flavonoids and resveratrol.
Flavonoids are found in plants and an important flavonoid, anthocyanin, causes the purple color in the skin of red grapes.
Resveratrol is a compound produced by plants to fight fungal infections and other diseases. It belongs to a class of antioxidants called polyphenols.
Resveratrol has been shown to prevent the growth of tumors and to reduce the rate of growth of existing tumors. Studies of prostate cancers are particularly dramatic.
Flavonoids seem to decrease the amount of LDL ("bad") cholesterol and increase the amount of HDL ("good") cholesterol in the blood. In the presence of flavonoids and resveratrol, platelets don't stick together so much and this means less clotting and strokes.
Resveratrol can block the formation of amyloid plaques which are associated with brain disease and Alzheimer's. It has also been shown that resveratrol can actually help form new brain cells which would aid in the prevention of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
And dental disease? Yes, some studies show that the antioxidants found in red wine can reduce the inflammation and tissue damage caused by periodontal disease. And the inflammation from periodontal disease has been linked with increased heart disease.
I should mention that more studies need to be conducted. There's much to learn. Scientists are even engaged in studying if resveratrol can prolong life. And we don't yet know the quantity of resveratrol and flavonoids that are most effective. Many of the studies were performed on rats and we need to figure out equivalent amounts for the human body. One study reports that a human would have to drink 750 bottles of red wine a day to achieve the same results found in rodents. There's also a danger if we drink too much red wine. Besides the obvious consummation of alcohol and the risk of serious or fatal accidents in the home and on the highway, there's a risk of liver damage, heart disease and other problems.
Because of the difference in body mass in men and women, it's generally recommended that men drink no more than two 4-ounce glasses of red wine per day and that women drink just one.
And now, just to be ornery, I want to tweak your thirst for more knowledge by saying: not all red grapes are equal. Some have more resveratrol than others. I'll be writing about that in my next column.
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