Substance doesn't seem to protect people from heart disease, cancer, study says MONDAY, May 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Resveratrol -- a substance found in red wine, grapes and chocolate -- may not add years to your life, and it doesn't appear to reduce the risk for heart disease or cancer either, according to new research. "When it comes to diet, health and aging, things are not simple and probably do not boil down to one single substance, such as resveratrol," said study lead researcher Dr. Richard Semba, a professor of ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. The findings also cast doubt about taking resveratrol supplements, he said. "Perhaps it brings us back again to rather tried and true advice of diet -- Mediterranean-style -- and regular aerobic exercise for healthy aging," said Semba. The report was published May 12 in the online edition of JAMA Internal Medicine. Red wine and chocolate have been shown to have beneficial effects on health, and these benefits were attributed largely to a single substance -- resveratrol.

Resveratrol has been credited as being responsible for the so-called "French paradox," in which even a diet high in cholesterol and fat can be healthy if it is accompanied with red wine, the researchers explained. For the study, Semba's team followed nearly 800 men and women 65 years or older who were part of the Aging in the Chianti Region study from 1998 to 2009 in two villages in Italy. These folks had a diet rich in resveratrol, the researchers note. To see if resveratrol in the diet could lower the risk of cancer, heart disease and death, the researchers measured traces of products left by resveratrol in the participant's urine. During the follow-up period, 268 people (34.3 percent) died; 174 (27.2 percent) developed heart disease and 34 (4.6 percent) developed cancer, the researchers found. When the researchers looked at the resveratrol levels, they found no significant differences in the rate of death from those with the lowest levels to the highest. They also found no association with higher levels of resveratrol and a lower risk of heart disease or cancer.

In fact, the lowest rates of heart disease were in people with the lowest levels of resveratrol. The bottom line, according to Semba, is that dietary resveratrol didn't translate into fewer deaths, cancers or heart problems. Samantha Heller, a senior clinical nutritionist at New York University Medical Center in New York City, said, "A quick search of the medical literature finds that many of the current studies done with resveratrol have been done in test tubes or in animals. This study, in humans, seems to indicate that an increased consumption of foods that contain resveratrol, such as red grapes and wine, does not affect long-term health over nine years. It may be that the effects of dietary resveratrol are not evident in this time period." Resveratrol is famous for giving the green light to people who want to consume alcohol, Heller said. "Many of my patients ask me, 'Should I start or continue to drink wine? It's heart-healthy, isn't it?'" she said. One of the reasons red wine in particular is considered heart-healthy is because of its resveratrol content, Heller said.

However, alcohol in any form can be toxic when one drinks too much. "While some studies indicate that regular consumption of red wine may have health benefits, the reality is that many of us drink too much alcohol, which over time can adversely affect liver and brain function, as well as blood sugar and weight," Heller said.best winery tours in ny Fruits and vegetables are loaded with a lot of phytochemicals (including resveratrol), vitamins and minerals that work together to help promote health and fight disease, she said.best red wine spain "Red grapes, peanuts, berries and other foods containing resveratrol are great to include in your diet; best nz wines 2015however, since we eat foods and not single nutrients or compounds, we must remember to look at the whole picture of what we eat and how we choose to live," said Heller.best wine high alcohol content

Current research and common sense suggests that a more plant-based, whole-food diet and regular exercise have long-term health benefits, Heller said. "This is not to say that a glass of wine now and then is not a healthy option. The American Heart Association recommends an average of one to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women," Heller said. best wine with christmas lunch(A drink is one 12-oz. beer, 5 oz. of wine, 1.5 oz. of 80-proof spirits, or 1 oz. of 100-proof spirits, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute).best selling wine in 2014Ok, so I think deep down, we all know the answer to this. wine sales online indiaSod’s law, nothing so tasty can be good for us.glass of wine 17 weeks

Booze dehydrates our skin by hindering the production of the anti-diuretic hormones, Vassopressin, turbo-charging our kidneys to get rid of excess moisture, drying us from the inside. On top of this, flushing of the skin and puffiness of the face aren’t a good look.box of wine pink There is a ‘but’ here: Some drinks are less harmful or, dare I say, better for us than others. You might have heard of the word ‘resveratrol’ in connection with wine, red in particular. It sounds like a fictional miracle drug from a Hollywood movie which is going to get Bradley Cooper killed if he doesn’t work out how to stop the baddies, but he can only do this…by upping his dose, obviously. This naturally occurring compound in the skins of red grapes has been referred to as ‘the elixir of life’ and, who knows, maybe it is. In large doses this compound that gives red grapes their colour contains properties that can slow down brain ageing.

It shares many of the same benefits as a calorie-controlled diet, say the scientists who have carried out numerous experiments on some of the sharpest lab rodents in town… well, they are now. Two-year-old mice, 70 in human years, were treated with Resveratrol for 12 months in one particular study. It was found to protect the mice’s brain synapses from the wear and tear of ageing. So, although you and I would have to have to drink hundreds of bottles of red to gain significant effects from it (not advised), this research is going towards a good cause: discovering ‘a fountain of youth’ pill. It’s not just mice that have benefited either. Resveratrol has also been shown to help insects live longer, by mimicking the effects of calorie restriction, and an FYI for all those bakers out there, the compound has been shown to extend the lifespan of baker’s yeast by up to 80%. A professor of pomology (fruit and vegetable science) from Cornell University in New York State has studied the resveratrol content in wines and juices.

Yes, that job title exists. He has put together a list of the healthiest wines, based on their resveratrol content. Given that Resveratrol is essentially a vine’s antibiotics, produced when the grape is under attack from fungus and disease, our scientist looked at high altitude locations like Sardinia and the Madiran in the Pyrenees. Wines from here have up to 10 times more compounds than in Australia or South Africa with their warm climates. So, the moment we’ve all been salivating over – which wines will turn us back into babies, in a good way? Grapes such as Pinot Noir, Tannat, Barbera, Malbec and Cabernet Franc came out on top. Here are some you can find on a shelf near you. Asda Extra Special Barbera d’Asti, £5.48 – is produced using the Italian Barbera grape, one of the most Resveratrol-heavy specimens on the market. Oh, and it also won a Silver medal at the IWC. Les Tuguets Madiran, France (Tesco £6) – contains a grape called Tannat, which contains three times more artery-strengthening OPC’s than Cabernet Sauvignon.