Tuesday, December 04, 2012
The French Paradox: The health benefits of red wine
By 10017129-L03, December
3, 2012
It’s Monday morning... Now, I know we are all beating
ourselves up over our weekend habits. Most of us probably indulged in some good
food, good company and good wine... but there is no reason to be dismayed over
these actions. Instead of partaking in nasty habits, we actually were
contributing to our health! Numerous studies have proven that the moderate
consumption of red wine is actually beneficial to our health. Great! So who is
it that claims red wine is a good thing? To begin with, the people of France.
Despite a diet of rich food, they maintain a high quality of health. “The
French consume more saturated fat than people in the United States and the
United Kingdom yet have a lower incidence of heart disease: red wine
consumption has been suggested as the reason” (Murrary & Pizzorno, 2012,
156). This belief, the "French Paradox", has now influenced millions of people.
From scientific conferences in Denmark, to CBC Canada, to little towns in Italy
and back to the United State’s with shows like 60 Minutes, the promotion of wine as a healthy option is soaring.
Taking a quick look into this, it becomes obvious as to
where these health benefits come from; the grapes. Flavonoids, resveratrol and
melatonin are found in the skins of fruits and vegetables, meaning they are
also a main component of wine. These compounds provide us
with numerous health benefits, and once crushed up, they result in a tasty drink
and a healthy choice. First we will start with flavonoids. Flavonoids contain
anthocyins, flavonols, catechins and anthocyanogenic tannins (Yao, et al, 2004,
pg. 113). These all help reduce the inflammation of the artery walls,
decreasing the build up of low-density lipo proteins, or “bad” proteins (CBC,
2008). This decrease in bad proteins “help the body [to] neutralize certain
free radicals that can trigger the cellular activity that may lead to cancer”
(CBC, 2008). Flavonoids have anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-arthritis and
anti- ulcer effects, resulting in quite a handy compound to consume.
Next up, resveratrol. Resveratrol helps by elevating
certain enzymes which decrease the formation of plaque in brain cells. After
the 2010 Resveratrol Conference in Denmark, the compound has been identified as
a preventer of numerous diseases in aging humans (Vogelmen, 2012). After
discussing and analyzing nearly 3,700 published studies, it was confirmed that
heart disease, cancer, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes are prevented
by consuming resveratrol (Vogelmen, 2012).
The experiments completed, such as those on lab mice and rats, have
proven to lower blood sugar and maintain insulin levels in the mice with
diabetes (Mayo Clinic, 2012). Further studies in cancer research show that 0.02
- 8 mg/kg of resveratrol is associated with reducing the size and quantity of
cancerous cells in lab rats. This small compound can do big things!
Last but not least, melatonin. Melatonin helps to
regulate the bodies internal system. It decreases sleep latency, improves sleep
quality, and aids in preventative actions against retinal disfunction (Mayo
Clinic, 2012). At this point in our busy exam schedules, a glass of a nice
Pinot Noir could come in handy! Besides helping us sleep and fixing our eyes,
the other contributing health factors of melatonin is that as an antioxidant,
it “mops up free radicals, preventing damage to cells and tissues” (CBC, 2006).
Melatonin, resveratrol and flavonoids are like super power compounds, and quite
frankly, the results are endless; besides what is listed above, red wine also
has favorable effects on blood pressure, and aids in the reduction in kidney
stone formation. The compounds found in wine are so beneficial, I feel like we
should be drinking a moderately sized glass right now.
With all this new logic and media supporting the health
benefits of red wine, it is not surprising that it is one of Canada’s most
popular drink choices. Red wines’ popularity beats out its counterpart, white wine,
whose benefits are lacking due to the removal of the grapes skin before
production. Now, the “sales of red wine are up by 130 per cent compared to a 33
per cent increase for white wine,”
proving the attraction our society has of finding pros in our socially
formed cons (CBC, 2008). It is now a part of the health food craze, with
everyone from wine-o’s to stay-at-home moms jumping on the bandwagon. The
marketing initiative of listing wine as a health food by various liquor stores
was spurred by the medias approval of red wine, and since 60 Minutes presentation on the French Paradox, wine sales increased
44%. (Simini, 2000, pg. 48). The effect the media has had on this situation is
probably even greater than all the experiments and studies completed, as it was finally made
clear and obvious to the public. Who doesn’t trust the media anyway?
So, in this stressful time, we should not feel bad about
enjoying ourselves with a simple glass of wine. As long as its within
moderation, roughly 4 ounces for a female and 8 ounces for a male, we will all
see numerous benefits; both short and long term. This is one bandwagon which,
when hopped on safely, is truly rewarding.
References
Melatonin (2012)
Mayoclinic, retrieved from http;//mayoclinic.com/health/melatonin-NS_patient-melatonin
Murray
M. T., N.D., & Pizzorno J. N.D. (2012) The Encyclopedia of Natural
Medicine, Third Edition, Simon and Schuster, INC. NY, New York, pg. 56.
Red,
Red Wine: Health pros and cons (2008): Study CBC News, Retrieved from http;//
www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2008/07/04/f-redwine-proscons.html
Simini
B. (2000). "Serge Renaud: from French paradox to Cretan miracle". The Lancet 355 (9197): pg. 48.
Vogelmen
B. (2012) How Resverstrol Combats Leading Causes of Death. Life Extension Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2012/mar2012_How-Resveratrol-Combats-Leading-Causes-Death_01.htm
Wine
Grapes High in Sleep Hormones (2006): Study CBC
News, Retrieved from http;//www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2006/06/19/grapes-melatonin.html
Yao,
Jiang, Shi, Tomas-Barberan, Datta, Singanusong and Chen. (2004) Flavonoids in
Food and Their Health Benefits. Plant
Food for Human Nutrition, 59 (3) pg. 113-122.
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