Its antioxidant properties have been linked to preventing blood clots and preventing cancer but now scientists say red wine has another health benefit – fighting inflammation.
New research shows that the drink blocks two key proteins in the body to prevent inflammation, a chief cause of chronic disease.
Red wine contains a powerful antioxidant, resveratrol, which has already been shown to prevent blood clots and combat cancer.
Scientists studied the effects of resveratrol on two groups of mice exposed to a strong inflammatory agent.
Without pre-treatment with resveratrol, the mice developed a serious reaction similar to sepsis in humans, which can lead to multiple organ failure and death.
Those given resveratrol were protected from inflammation.
Sepsis is a body-wide inflammatory disorder in which the immune system goes into overdrive in response to an infection.
Dr Alirio Melendez, one of the scientists from the University of Glasgow, said: ‘Strong acute inflammatory diseases such as sepsis are very difficult to treat and many die every day due to lack of treatment.
‘Moreover, many survivors of sepsis develop a very low quality of life due to the damage that inflammation causes to several internal organs. The ultimate goal of our study was to identify a potential novel therapy to help in the treatment of strong acute inflammatory diseases.’
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October 25th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
COUPLES who share a bottle of wine a week cut their chances of falling pregnant through IVF by a quarter.
The findings have prompted doctors to advise against drinking alcohol while attempting to conceive in addition to the duration of pregnancy.
Researchers found partners who both knock back at least six units of alcohol a week reduced the odds of having a child by 26 per cent.
Six units of alcohol is the equivalent of two strong pints of beer or two large glasses of wine.
While women who consumed that amount of alcohol slashed their chances of conceiving by 18 per cent and men cut the odds by 14 per cent.
Scientists from Harvard Medical School in the US surveyed 2,574 couples on their drinking tastes and habits before they embarked on a course of IVF.
More than half of women in the group and 34 per cent of men had a weekly drink while four per cent of women and five per cent of men admitted to a daily tipple.
The effects of white wine for women and beer for men were particularly strong.
Females who enjoy a small glass of wine each week were 24 per cent less likely to have a live birth and increased the likelihood of a failed embryo implantation by almost a quarter.
But men weren’t off the hook. A daily pint resulted in a 30 per cent less chance of a live birth and a 38 per cent threat of failed implantation.
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/135407/Glass-of-wine-cuts-IVF-success
January 18th, 2010 at 4:30 am
Swapping a daily glass of wine for a slightly weaker alternative could be enough to lower the risk of some cancers, a charity suggests.
Studies suggest that people who drink wine with an alcohol content of 10% rather than 14% might benefit, says the World Cancer Research Fund.
The charity called for more low-alcohol wines and beers to be available for sale.
An industry expert said UK consumers were asking for “lighter” wines.
The calculation was based on figures in a 2007 report which looked at the evidence for a link between alcohol consumption and cancer.
That report recommended that men should have no more than two drinks a day, and women no more than one.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8462044.stm
March 8th, 2010 at 11:48 pm
The health benefits of red wine have long been a consolation to those who enjoy an occasional glass or two. But the news has got even better.
A study has shown that moderate women drinkers put on less weight than those who stick to soft drinks – and those who drank red wine put on the least weight. The findings by Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston suggest drinkers turn the calories into heat, not fat.
Here we look at the other surprising ways in which alcohol – when taken in moderation – may benefit your body. Men should not exceed three to four units a day and women should not exceed two to three units a day.
RED WINE
BENEFITS: Fights cancer, raises good cholesterol, boosts brain power, helps insomnia and protects against hearing and tooth decay.
The health benefits of red wine are down to resveratrol, a plant chemical in the skins and pips of grapes. Salicylate, an antioxidant in red wine, can help to prevent deafness by protecting the tiny hairs in the inner ear that are vital for hearing.
It can also sharpen your wits, says Dr Clinton Wright, professor of neurology at Columbia University, New York, who found moderate red wine drinkers score higher in mental agility tests than teetotallers. A team of U.S. researchers discovered that chemicals in the seeds and skins of grapes blocked the ability of corrosive bacteria to bind with tooth enamel, protecting teeth from decay.
Red wine can also help insomnia, according to the University of Milan. Grape skins contain melatonin, a hormone that keeps body clocks in check and induces sleep.
BEER
BENEFITS: Contains vitamins and minerals needed to protect the heart and bones, plus fibre.
A pint of ale contains more than a quarter of an adult’s recommended daily dose of vitamin B folate, which stops the build-up of homocysteine, linked to heart attacks.
Beer also contains boron, another trace mineral needed to maintain healthy bones. A pint supplies a tenth of the recommended daily allowance of niacin, which is needed to help release energy from food, as well as 10 per cent of an adult’s daily fibre needs.
A pint a day reduces the risk of kidney stones by up to 40 per cent because beer is low in calcium and high in magnesium – key factors in avoiding stone formation.
Like red wine, one beer a day cuts the risk of heart disease and strokes, thanks to its antioxidants.
But does it give you a beer belly? Martin Bobak, an epidemiologist at University College London, compared 2,000 beer drinkers with non- drinkers. There was little difference in their waist-hip ratios.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1256471/Why-glass-day-WILL-doctor-away-.html
April 1st, 2010 at 3:12 pm
MOST people like a bit of alcohol, so it’s natural to tune in to reports about its benefits.
There are widespread rumours that certain types of alcohol, like red wine, can help to protect against cancer.
And when it comes to the negative side of drinking, most people think of hangovers or liver problems.
But in reality, the consequences of drinking too much alcohol go well beyond the evening’s embarrassing antics or the morning’s hangover.
Alcohol is actually one of the most important causes of cancer. Decades of solid evidence have shown us that it can cause seven types of cancer, including breast, bowel, mouth and liver cancers.
It’s estimated to account for around 15,000 cases of cancer in the UK every year. You can find out more about the science linking alcohol to cancer in Cancer Research UK’s blog.
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/162331/Drinking-alcohol-does-not-protect-against-cancer
April 22nd, 2010 at 12:50 pm
Red wine bolsters the brain’s defences against the damage of stroke, research suggests.
A study found that resveratrol, the ‘wonder ingredient’ in red wine already credited with abilities from extending life to burning off junk food, can minimise the harm done by a stroke.
Mice given the compound, which is found in the seeds and skins of red grapes, while still healthy suffered significantly less brain damage when later having a stroke than ‘tee-total’ rodents.
The research, from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, suggests that resveratrol increases levels of a protective enzyme called heme oxygenase.
When the stroke hits, the enzyme swings into action, shielding oxygen-starved cells from death.
Researcher Dr Sylvain Dore believes that even small amounts of resveratrol, which is also found in raspberries, blueberries, cranberries and peanuts, could be protective.
But until other studies work out how much is enough, he advises against stocking up on supplements.
And the stroke experts point out that while alcohol can protect against one kind of stroke, even small amounts may raise the risk of the other.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1268080/Red-wine-protect-brain-stroke-damage.html
May 19th, 2010 at 11:12 am
People who drink up to half a bottle of wine a day are healthier than teetotallers, according to a surprising new study.
This is because those who enjoyed three glasses of wine a day tended to take more exercise, have a higher social status and suffer from less stress, according to researchers.
A Team from the Public Assistance Hospitals of Paris studied almost 150,000 people and found those who enjoyed low or moderate intake of alcohol were fitter than those who never touched a drop or drank to excess.
The participants – 97,406 men and 52,367 women – were split into five groups including no alcohol consumption, low alcohol consumption (less than one glass a day), moderate drinkers (between one and three glasses a day), heavy drinkers (more than three glasses) and former drinkers who now abstained.
The analysis showed those who drank moderately were more likely to have lower cardiovascular disease risk, heart rate, stress, depression and body mass index.
They also scored higher on health measures such as respiratory function and physical activity.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1279589/Drinkers-half-bottle-wine-daily-HEALTHIER-teetotallers.html
August 30th, 2010 at 6:56 pm
Good news for those who like a drink or two in the evening – you are far more likely to live longer than those who don’t drink at all.
Researchers from the University of Texas, Austin, found the health benefits of drinking among older adults are intrinsically linked to moderation.
The study, due to appear in the journal, Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, looked at data from 1,824 adults between the ages of 55 and 65. They were all former of current drinkers over the past 20 years.
They discovered that the heavy drinkers had a 42 per cent higher risk of dying in a 20 year follow up compared to moderate drinkers. Amazingly teetotalers had a 49 per cent higher mortality risk.
The scientists said this was because many of those who abstained from alcohol in the study sample were former problem drinkers. They were also more likely than moderate drinkers to have health problems due to lack of exercise and smoking.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1307408/Make-large-Moderate-drinkers-live-longer-teetollers-finds-study.html
September 8th, 2010 at 12:30 am
THREE glasses of alcohol a day will help you live longer, according to a major new report.
The 20-year study reveals men and women who drink moderately are more likely to outlive those who are teetotal or drink heavily.
And despite current health advice to have no more than two drinks a night, the experts found that having three tipples does no harm. Worst off are non-drinkers – who are 51 per cent more likely to die before moderate drinkers.
This compares to heavy drinkers, whose risk of dying is 45 per cent higher than moderate boozers, the University of Texas experts found.
The study, to be published in the November issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, has excited experts because it took into account lifestyles of those quizzed. Up until now, experts have suggested people who don’t drink have a higher risk of mortality because they are reformed alcoholics who have already done long-term damage.
But the latest study of 1,800 men and women, aged between 55 and 65, excluded former problem drinkers.
It also took into account other habits that might affect lifespan, such as obesity and smoking and class. The International Scientific Forum on SDHpAlcohol Research said: “These are quite remarkable effects on the risk of mortality, and are larger than those associated with most drugs.
“The paper provides information that may be especially important for physicians, who tend to be very cautious when giving advice to patients regarding alcohol consumption.” However, authors of this latest study warned it is too early for celebration.
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/198158/Health-Three-glasses-of-alcohol-a-day-will-help-you-live-longer