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red wine

Red Wine and the Brain

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DO I NEED TO DRINK MORE WINE TO PROTECT MY BRAIN?
It’s no surprise that wine (or specifically, the resveratrol content of red wine) has protective benefits in moderation, but you may not understand exactly how resveratrol works.
Calorie restriction without nutrient restriction has consistently shown to extend lifespan in mammals.  This calorie restriction works by improving the health and number of the mitochondria by activating a set of genes called the Sirtuin genes.
Research on resveratrol has found that it resveratrol activates this same Sirtuin pathway.  In this particular study, researchers looked at the additional ability of resveratrol to protect the brain from a neurotransmitter called glutamate, which can create a wave of brain damage with seizures and migraines.

 

Red Wine, Black Tea Polyphenols Modulate Expression of COX-2 – (06-10-02)

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Red Wine, Black Tea Polyphenols Modulate Expression of COX-2

Geez–billions of dollars spent on developing and creating the market for a selective COX-2 inhibitor (quite an interesting tale if you follow Mansanto’s “public health” info on the dangers of non-selective COX inhibitors) when we’ve had several compounds that seem to do the same thing already in own kitchen cabinets. Oops…I forgot that you can’t patent and make gobs of money off of wine and tea. This study mainly focuses on the potential anti-cancer abilities of inhibiting certain enzyme systems in the GI tract.

Nutrition.org — Abstracts: Luceri et al. 132 (6): 1376

Read entire article here

 

Drink Red Wine, Improve Heart Disease in a Surprising Way

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Most of us have an inkling that red wine is good for heart disease.  Maybe even for the brain.  But what does red wine really do for us?

First of all, no discussion on the benefits of red wine on heart disease would be appropriate until we discuss volume.  Moderate wine drinking in the medical literature is considered a 1/2 bottle per day.  Most are very happy to hear this (and no–this “average” does not likely include nothing on Mon-Wed and a full bottle the rest of the week to make up for the shortfall).

The medical research has documented multiple health benefits of red wine.  These may include:

Basically, the polyphenol resveratrol found in red wine (also found in the grapes and peanut skins) is believed to act on a family of genes called the Sirtuin family of genes.  These genes are responsible for longevity and good health, so anything that positively affects these genes is a good thing.  Calorie restriction without nutrient restriction has the same effect.

This particular study gives us some additional insight into some less well known benefits.

Having a healthy bacterial flora in our gut is absolutely essential for good health.  Those that state that death begins in the colon may not be too far off.

Researchers found that red wine actually improved the number of Bifidobacteria in the gut of the participants in this study.  Additional benefits noted include:

  • Blood pressure decreased
  • Triglyceride and total cholesterol levels decreased
  • HDL cholesterol levels increased
  • C-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation) decreased

Interestingly, changes in cholesterol and C-reactive protein concentrations were linked to changes in the number of bifidobacteria in the gut.  This just goes to show how complex our bodies are in how each system interacts with every other system.  Lifestyle changes are not geared towards improving a single target (like blood pressure or cholesterol), but rather gear towards improving every parameter as it relates to health.

As if this wasn’t good enough news, keep in mind that adding a square of dark chocolate with your evening wine may go even further towards protecting your heart and your health…

What do you eat with your red wine?

RED WINE INTAKE OF MODERATE AMOUNT SHOWS A POSITIVE HEALTH BENEFIT – (03-17-08)

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Life style habits such as alcohol consumption and physical activity in relation to serum apoB / apoA-I ratio amongst 64-year-old women with varying degrees of glucose tolerance

Alcohol is always a hot topic when it comes to health. In general, almost all the studies looking at red wine intake of moderate amount (up to 1/2 bottle / day) show a positive benefit. This study is no different, although they did not look at type of alcohol consumed. Of note in this study was that alcohol intake above one glass per day was needed to show a positive effect.

Also, this article had an interesting finding; exercise “leading to sweating” had a positive effect. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the term “leading to sweating” used, but it gives us a real good idea of what level was needed. Walking in many cases is probably not enough. So, try jogging on the treadmill holding a glass of red wine.

Read entire article here