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Drinking Red Wine Definitely Good for the Heart but
It May Be Polyphenols
 Polyphenols
already identified in benefits of red wine to prevent cancer
March 18, 2005 – Drinking two to three glasses of
red wine daily is good for the heart, says a Yale School of Medicine
researcher. But he says it may be due to polyphenols in the wine, rather
than the alcohol. Polyphenols in red wine have also been identified for
helping prevent cancer.
(Read more about cancer
prevention and polyphenols below this story.)
"The current consensus is that it is not just the
alcohol, but something else," said Bauer Sumpio, M.D., professor and
section chief of vascular surgery in the Department of Surgery. "There
are probably several mechanisms of protection from a cardiovascular
viewpoint."
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He said researchers have been trying to pinpoint
why red wine has a cardiovascular protective effect ever since the
discovery of the so-called "French Paradox" in 1992 when researchers
found a 40 percent lower mortality rate from ischemic heart disease
among people in France despite the high amount of saturated fats in
their diet.
Sumpio said there are several studies showing
drinking two to three ounces of alcohol each day has a beneficial
effect, but any more than that and the alcohol begins to have a negative
health effect. Studies comparing spirits, beer and wine show some
benefit from spirits and beer, but an overwhelming benefit from drinking
red wine.
His laboratory found polyphenols, minus the
alcohol, are powerful anti-oxidants.
Polyphenols also are found in fruit, particularly
berries, as well as green tea and chocolate. Anti-oxidants slow cell
deterioration. The polyphenols also help prevent the build up of plaque
on the smooth muscle cells, as well as inhibit platelet formation, which
can lead to blood clotting.
"A better understanding of the health benefits of
red wine and perhaps the specific polyphenolic extracts with the
described properties would be a great contribution to society," Sumpio
said.
The study is published in the Journal of
American College of Surgeons - Co-authors Alfredo Cordova, M.D., La
Scienya Jackson, M.D., and David Berke-Schlessel, of Yale. The research
was supported in part by the North American Foundation for Limb
Preservation.
Red Wine and Cancer Prevention: Questions and
Answers
By National Cancer Institute
Red wine is a rich source of biologically active
phytochemicals, chemicals found in plants. Particular compounds called
polyphenols found in red wine-such as catechins and resveratrol-are
thought to have anti oxidant or anti cancer properties.
1. What are polyphenols and how do they prevent
cancer?
Polyphenols are antioxidant compounds found in the
skin and seeds of grapes. When wine is made from these grapes, the
alcohol produced by the fermentation process dissolves the polyphenols
contained in the skin and seeds. Red wine contains more polyphenols than
white wine because the making of white wine requires the removal of the
skins after the grapes are crushed. The phenols in red wine include
catechin, gallic acid and epicatechin.
Polyphenols have been found to have antioxidant
properties. Antioxidants are substances that protect cells from
oxidative damage caused by molecules called free radicals. These
chemicals can damage important parts of cells, including proteins,
membranes and DNA. Cellular damage caused by free radicals has been
implicated in the development of cancer. Research on the antioxidants
found in red wine has shown that they may help inhibit the development
of certain cancers.
2. What is resveratrol and how does it prevent
cancer?
Resveratrol is a type of polyphenol called a
phytoalexin, a class of compounds produced as part of a plant's defense
system against disease. It is produced in the plant in response to an
invading fungus, stress, injury, infection or ultraviolet irradiation.
Red wine contains high levels of resveratrol, as do grapes, raspberries,
peanuts and other plants.
Resveratrol has been shown to reduce tumor
incidence in animals by affecting one or more stages of cancer
development. It has been shown to inhibit growth of many types of cancer
cells in culture. Evidence also exists that it can reduce inflammation.
It also reduces activation of NF kappa B, a protein produced by the
body's immune system when it is under attack. This protein affects
cancer cell growth and metastasis. Resveratrol is also an antioxidant.
3. What have red wine studies found?
The cell and animal studies of red wine have
examined effects in several cancers including leukemia, skin, breast and
prostate cancers. Scientists are studying resveratrol to learn more
about its cancer preventive activities. Recent evidence from animal
studies suggests this anti-inflammatory compound may be an effective
chemopreventive agent in three stages of the cancer process: initiation,
promotion and progression.
However, studies of the association between red
wine consumption and cancer in humans are in their initial stages.
Although consumption of large amounts of alcoholic beverages may
increase the risk of some cancers, there is growing evidence that the
health benefits of red wine are related to its nonalcoholic components.
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