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Resveratrol, Red Wine & Your Health

For many years red wine has been thought to be healthy for you. Only within the last 25 years was the reason, or at least a possible explanation, discovered. Red wine is red because the skins of the grapes are processed with it and color it. The skins themselves contain resveratrol (RSV), a kind of phytoalexin, a plant-based antimicrobial substance. Resveratrol can also be used to treat cancer, inflammation, and cardiovascular problems. However it occurs in significant concentrations only in grapes that are grown organically, because it is the plant's response to fungus. If the grapes are sprayed with a pesticide, then the plant does not respond.

Because of its effect on cancer cells, especially prostate cancer (see below), resveratrol is being actively studied as a preventative measure and partial treatment for cancer. There is also a theory that it could protect and treat Alzheimer's patients. Much research has been done on resveratrol, mostly in laboratories. More research needs to be done to prove these health benefits in humans, but many who consume resveratrol for its health effects already believe that it works.

Resveratrol occurs in grapes and survives the wine making process for red wine, which is fermented with the skins. It is produced naturally by the vine as a reaction to fungus, and this is triggered by yeast when wine is fermented. It is present in the skins of grapes, in some but not all seeds, and in the stems. It also occurs in other plants, like peanuts, the roots of white hellebore, blueberries, bilberries, cranberries, and Japanese knotweed. It also occurs in cocoa and chocolate, in amounts almost as high as red wine and grape juice.

• The high concentration found in supplemental form is probably the best way to add resveratrol to your diet. The amount of wine necessary to drink to equal the amount of resveratrol in supplements would open you up to possible alcohol poisoning, as well as alcohol-related diseases

• RSV seems to be most effective in diminishing platelet aggregation when there is a trace amount of the mineral selenium present

• A new study by the University of South Florida's Health Sciences Center suggests that resveratrol can help prevent and possibly treat liver disease caused by alcoholism. It prevents the fatty buildup that leads to cirrhosis and fibrosis, caused by alcohol blocking two proteins that break down fat in the liver. This can lead to total liver failure

• Several studies have linked polyphenols like RSV to an increase in HDL (good) cholesterol, and recent studies published in Nutrition Review suggest that resveratrol can reduce bad cholesterol

• The study published in Nutrition Review also suggested a connection between resveratrol and reduced insulin sensitivity, as well as added protection for the nervous system

• The polyphenols, especially quercetin and resveratrol, are...