New findings show that the antioxidant resveratrol, which is only present in red and not white wine, is believed to help in the fight against cancer
NK YONG 31 May 2013
Much has been written about the health benefits of wine, so it might be helpful to summarise the findings and latest conclusions about its place in the promotion of health. Many reports have been on the beneficial effects of wine, in particular red wine, on the incidence of coronary heart disease but definitive conclusions appear to be limited and in some cases somewhat tentative. There are also numerous reports of studies on the beneficial effects of red wine on cancer, and Alzheimer's disease.
The "French Paradox" was the name given to the situation highlighted in the popular American CBS TV show 60 Minutes in November 1991, that the French who smoke heavily, and have a fat-dominated (read foie gras) diet outlive Americans by about 21/2, with 40 per cent less heart attacks.
Dr Serge Renaud, the French doctor who was featured in that segment of 60 Minutes said: "It's well documented that a moderate intake of alcohol prevents coronary heart disease by as much as 50 per cent." Needless to say the sale of wine, in particular red wine, in the United States soared immediately after that TV show.
But in reality the same observations about the effect of alcohol had been made even before the "French Paradox". In the 1970s and 1980s, studies by Dr Arthur Klatsky in Oakland, California, Dr Eric Rimm in Boston and several others had shown that those who drank moderate amounts of alcohol had less heart disease.
In the 1990s, Dr Michael Graziano in Boston had shown that alcohol raised the blood level of HDL, the "good" cholesterol. Other studies at the time showed that alcohol inhibited clotting. The CBS 60 Minutes show simply gave wide publicity to the laity!
Studies also showed that apart from the alcohol, there was a group of substances in the body which behaved as antioxidants, of which the most prominent and active was one called Resveratrol.
This is a polyphenol found in wine which has been shown to extend the lifespan of fruit flies, and worms, and reducing and protecting against the adverse effects of obesity in mice. There have also been studies which apparently showed that moderate wine consumption prevents Alzheimer's disease but these are only observational studies and not planned studies.
Researchers at the MD Anderson Cancer Centre of the University of Texas are certain about is this: the skin and seeds of grapes may have cancer-fighting properties.
The major part of the cancer-fighting power comes from the antioxidant resveratrol, a natural plant chemical which protects cells from damage that could lead to cancer. Since red wine is full of resveratrol the recommendation favours the choice of red over white!
Definitive studies to show that resveratrol in red wine actually prevents cancer are ongoing.
To sum up then, the current position is that data from research studies both in UK, Europe and the US support the conclusions that:
1. Wine has a protective effect on heart disease, in particular coronary heart disease, thus reducing the incidence of heart attacks;
2. Alcohol in the wine reduces the blood content of "bad" cholesterol (LDL) and increases the content of "good" cholesterol (HDL);
3. Antioxidants in the wine, in particular red wine, have anti-ageing effects;
4. Observational studies indicate a protective action against Alzheimer's disease:
5. Suggestive evidence that the resveratrol in the wine also has anti-cancer properties.
All the above cannot but make the wine lover feel good! The question often posed is why are doctors so reluctant to recommend wine to their patients?
The answer is simply this: a minimum-risk policy is best protection for both patient and physician. Doctors are on the whole conservative when it comes to contentious issues, and alcohol is one of them.
They do not want to be blamed if and when one of their patients becomes an alcoholic and blames it on his doctor "who advised him that alcohol was good for him"!
As a physician myself, my answer when asked about my wine consumption is "Moderately!"
The universal (and conservative) recommendation is "Two glasses a day for men, one glass for women."
One could instead calculate on a "weekly aggregate" basis as the measure of consumption. This would allow for 14 glasses a week and seven for women. For those who do not drink every day of the week but, let's say two dinners a week, that would allow him seven glasses of wine per dinner. But with this modification of the system of totalling up, one can play with the number of glasses one drinks per dinner.
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Drink to good health
New findings show that the antioxidant resveratrol, which is only present in red and not white wine, is believed to help in the fight against cancer
NK YONG
31 May 2013
Much has been written about the health benefits of wine, so it might be helpful to summarise the findings and latest conclusions about its place in the promotion of health. Many reports have been on the beneficial effects of wine, in particular red wine, on the incidence of coronary heart disease but definitive conclusions appear to be limited and in some cases somewhat tentative. There are also numerous reports of studies on the beneficial effects of red wine on cancer, and Alzheimer's disease.
The "French Paradox" was the name given to the situation highlighted in the popular American CBS TV show 60 Minutes in November 1991, that the French who smoke heavily, and have a fat-dominated (read foie gras) diet outlive Americans by about 21/2, with 40 per cent less heart attacks.
Dr Serge Renaud, the French doctor who was featured in that segment of 60 Minutes said: "It's well documented that a moderate intake of alcohol prevents coronary heart disease by as much as 50 per cent." Needless to say the sale of wine, in particular red wine, in the United States soared immediately after that TV show.
But in reality the same observations about the effect of alcohol had been made even before the "French Paradox". In the 1970s and 1980s, studies by Dr Arthur Klatsky in Oakland, California, Dr Eric Rimm in Boston and several others had shown that those who drank moderate amounts of alcohol had less heart disease.
In the 1990s, Dr Michael Graziano in Boston had shown that alcohol raised the blood level of HDL, the "good" cholesterol. Other studies at the time showed that alcohol inhibited clotting. The CBS 60 Minutes show simply gave wide publicity to the laity!
Studies also showed that apart from the alcohol, there was a group of substances in the body which behaved as antioxidants, of which the most prominent and active was one called Resveratrol.
This is a polyphenol found in wine which has been shown to extend the lifespan of fruit flies, and worms, and reducing and protecting against the adverse effects of obesity in mice. There have also been studies which apparently showed that moderate wine consumption prevents Alzheimer's disease but these are only observational studies and not planned studies.
Researchers at the MD Anderson Cancer Centre of the University of Texas are certain about is this: the skin and seeds of grapes may have cancer-fighting properties.
The major part of the cancer-fighting power comes from the antioxidant resveratrol, a natural plant chemical which protects cells from damage that could lead to cancer. Since red wine is full of resveratrol the recommendation favours the choice of red over white!
Definitive studies to show that resveratrol in red wine actually prevents cancer are ongoing.
To sum up then, the current position is that data from research studies both in UK, Europe and the US support the conclusions that:
1. Wine has a protective effect on heart disease, in particular coronary heart disease, thus reducing the incidence of heart attacks;
2. Alcohol in the wine reduces the blood content of "bad" cholesterol (LDL) and increases the content of "good" cholesterol (HDL);
3. Antioxidants in the wine, in particular red wine, have anti-ageing effects;
4. Observational studies indicate a protective action against Alzheimer's disease:
5. Suggestive evidence that the resveratrol in the wine also has anti-cancer properties.
All the above cannot but make the wine lover feel good! The question often posed is why are doctors so reluctant to recommend wine to their patients?
The answer is simply this: a minimum-risk policy is best protection for both patient and physician. Doctors are on the whole conservative when it comes to contentious issues, and alcohol is one of them.
They do not want to be blamed if and when one of their patients becomes an alcoholic and blames it on his doctor "who advised him that alcohol was good for him"!
As a physician myself, my answer when asked about my wine consumption is "Moderately!"
The universal (and conservative) recommendation is "Two glasses a day for men, one glass for women."
One could instead calculate on a "weekly aggregate" basis as the measure of consumption. This would allow for 14 glasses a week and seven for women. For those who do not drink every day of the week but, let's say two dinners a week, that would allow him seven glasses of wine per dinner. But with this modification of the system of totalling up, one can play with the number of glasses one drinks per dinner.
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