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Wine fights heart foe: Red wine may suppress one of the main chemical culprits in heart disease.
Nature Science Update ^ | 20 December 2001 | ERICA KLARREICH

Posted on 12/20/2001, 2:59:17 PM by aculeus

Indulging in a little fine Cabernet Sauvignon this Christmas could well do you good. Red wine blocks a cellular compound thought to be a key factor in heart disease, a new study finds1, bolstering claims that red wine carries more health benefits than other alcoholic beverages.

The finding may help explain why the French, who often drink red wine with meals, appear to have a lower risk of heart disease than people in Britain despite eating a similar amount of saturated fat - a phenomenon known as the 'French paradox'.

Epidemiological studies have suggested that red-wine consumption lowers heart disease risk. How has been a matter of speculation, says Tony Turner, a molecular biologist at the University of Leeds, UK.

"There has been much in the news about the benefits of red wine, but it has been largely hearsay, and much of it contradictory," he says. "This paper provides a first look at a mechanism underlying red wine's protective effect."

The study suggests that non-alcoholic extracts from red wine inhibit the formation of endothelin-1, a chemical that makes blood vessels constrict. Compounds that block endothelin-1 may reduce the formation of fatty streaks in blood vessels and decrease heart attack risks.

White and rosé wines had no effect on the production of endothelin-1. This implies that the active ingredients are polyphenols - compounds from grape skins found only in red wines.

Uncovering this mechanism gives researchers a way to calculate the amount of red wine that provides the greatest benefit, says Roger Corder of Queen Mary University of London, a member of the team that performed the study. "If you can measure endothelin synthesis in volunteers after consumption of red wine, you can establish the ideal quantity to consume," he says.

The study was performed on cultured cow heart cells. More research is needed to understand whether the mechanism is important in humans, cautions David Webb, who studies endothelin at the University of Edinburgh.

But, he adds, the study found that even very small amounts of red wine extracts - well within the quantities that a moderate drinker would consume - have a powerful impact on endothelin production. "The potency suggests it might be a real effect in humans," he says.

Heart of the matter

The health benefits of wine have also been attributed to the antioxidant effects of polyphenols. Antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, are thought to reduce the formation of fatty plaques in blood vessels.

But recent large-scale epidemiological studies have failed to find health benefits from antioxidants. Says Corder: "I think there has been an unnecessary emphasis on antioxidants in red wine."

There is also evidence that red wine dilates blood vessels and stops red blood cells from clumping. These effects may be independent, or they may be a consequence of the newly discovered suppression of endothelin-1, Webb says. "It may be that this is not just another contributory benefit but the heart of the process."

References
Corder, R. et al. Endothelin-1 synthesis reduced by red wine. Nature, 414, 863 - 864, (2001).


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:
To your health!
1 posted on 12/20/2001, 2:59:17 PM by aculeus
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To: aculeus
Hmmmm . . . I wonder how this applies to brandy.
2 posted on 12/20/2001, 3:01:37 PM by wideawake
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To: aculeus
And wine can of their wits the wise beguile,
Make the sage frolic, and the serious smile.

--Alexander Pope
3 posted on 12/20/2001, 3:05:15 PM by Xenalyte
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To: aculeus
Skoal?
4 posted on 12/20/2001, 3:10:29 PM by litehaus
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To: aculeus
My wife is going to be thrilled. Actually, I have to remind myself to drink a glass a day. We keep red wine in the house always, but I tend to drink cola or mountain dew. Note to self: a glass of red wine a day.
5 posted on 12/20/2001, 3:13:59 PM by Huck
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To: aculeus
I think health statistics show that this also applies to beer. One beer a day, or one glass of wine a day, is good for the health--assuming that you are not one of those unfortunates who can't stop at one.
6 posted on 12/20/2001, 3:19:05 PM by Cicero
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To: aculeus; Orual
Indulging in a little fine Cabernet Sauvignon this Christmas could well do you good.

Uh-oh. The cheap bottles on hand may be hazardous to my health.

7 posted on 12/20/2001, 3:34:01 PM by dighton
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To: Cicero
One.......Is too many, And a hundred is not enough....
8 posted on 12/20/2001, 3:36:00 PM by hobbes1
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To: hobbes1
grape juice, the dark purple kind made from concorde grapes, has the same chemical and the same effect.
9 posted on 12/20/2001, 3:38:35 PM by Jason_b
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To: Jason_b
...LOL....Maybe in Regards to fighting Heart disease...However, to get the really important effect, You would have to throw some Absolut in there....
10 posted on 12/20/2001, 3:41:04 PM by hobbes1
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To: Jason_b
Just one glass a day? Well good, I get that out of the way first thing in the morning.

Kidding!

11 posted on 12/20/2001, 3:42:34 PM by Zack Nguyen
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To: aculeus
"There is also evidence that red wine dilates blood vessels and stops red blood cells from clumping."

A few years ago, a medical journal came out with the revelation that the consumption of ANY amount of acoholic beverage causes the redc blood cells to "clump," blocking capilliaries and killing brain cells. NOW, it's said that red wine PREVENTS clumping. I think these turkeys don't know what the (bleep) they're talking about!

12 posted on 12/20/2001, 3:44:54 PM by nightdriver
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To: Zack Nguyen
"Just one glass a day? I get that out of the way first thing in the morning."

LOL!! I live in Chile...If this is true, I may live to be 100!

13 posted on 12/20/2001, 3:57:25 PM by Cuttnhorse
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To: Jason_b
According to the report I read, it's the fermentation process that's important, suggesting ordinary grape juice isn't as effective.
14 posted on 12/20/2001, 4:08:04 PM by bribriagain
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To: aculeus
Does the alchohol play any effect at all in this? If not, I can see a market for "Red Wine Extract" Softgel capsules or something.

I know this sucks, but alchohol consumption sometimes gives me PVC's (Premature Ventricular Contractions.. basically the feeling that your heart has skipped a beat or two..)

15 posted on 12/20/2001, 4:14:08 PM by Paradox
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To: hobbes1
Merlot anyone?
16 posted on 12/20/2001, 4:58:04 PM by riley1992
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To: riley1992
Why Yes, a thousand times, Yes....

Thank you. ;)

17 posted on 12/20/2001, 4:59:42 PM by hobbes1
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To: riley1992
Red, red wine......
18 posted on 12/20/2001, 5:50:27 PM by Bella_Bru
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To: riley1992
Just bring it! :-)
19 posted on 12/20/2001, 5:56:18 PM by StoneColdGOP
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To: Bella_Bru
Life is fine every time,
Thoughts of you leave my head
I was wrong, now I find
Just one thing makes me forget

Red, red wine, stay close to me
Don't let me be alone
It's tearing apart my blue heart

Red red wine, you make me feel so fine,
You keep me rockin' all of the time
Red red wine, you make me feel so grand,
I feel a million dollar when you're just in my hand
Red red wine, you make me feel so sad,
Any time I see you go, it make me feel bad
Red red wine, you make me feel so fine,
Monkey back and ease up on the sweet deadline

20 posted on 12/20/2001, 6:21:13 PM by riley1992
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