Understanding the health benefits of moderate consumption of red wine

Previous epidemiological studies suggested that alcohol, and therefore wine, beer and spirits, was the compound responsible for the claimed health benefits despite its negative effects, such as alcoholism and social impacts, deficiencies of cognitive development, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and an increased risk of breast cancer in women is indisputable.

In moderate consumption, alcohol has been shown to increase the amount of tPA, or tissue plasminogen activator, a substance that catalyzes the conversion of plasminogen to plasmin, the main enzyme responsible for the breakdown of clots. And in the issue of May 31, 2009, Wine Spectator cites research from Stanford University that states that aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2) enzymes process alcohol and “remove toxic by-products created by the breakdown of fats in cells during a heart attack. Removing the by-products prevents additional damage to heart cells. “

Although alcohol plays a favorable role, more recent studies have shown that red wine provides greater protection against disease and illness, and therefore there are other important healthy compounds in red wine that are not found in white wine. beer or spirits. These healthy compounds belong to a class of compounds known as polyphenols of which there are two types in red wine: non-flavonoids and flavonoids. The word “flavonoid” is derived from Latin flavone, which means “yellow” and not “taste”, which tends to confuse people.

Non-flavonoids include stilbene polyphenols (also known as stilbenoids) such as resveratrol from grape pulp and hydroxycinnamic and hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives such as gallotannins and ellagitannins found in oak-aged wines. Gallotannins and ellagitannins are better known as hydrolyzable tannins and are copolymers of gallic and ellagic acids and glucose, respectively.

Until recently, resveratrol (3,5,4′-trihydroxystilbene) was believed to be the main compound responsible for the health attributes in red wine. However, modern quantification methods reveal that the amount of resveratrol in wine is too low, particularly in wines processed with clarifying agents such as PVPP, to have any major health consequences on its own. But a diet rich in resveratrol from fruits, vegetables, nuts and wine has been linked, along with a healthy lifestyle, to longevity in humans, according to Dr. Joseph Maroon, a world-renowned neurosurgeon and author of The longevity factor. He has studied Dr. David Sinclair’s research on the subject extensively. Sinclair is Director of the Paul F. Glenn Laboratories for Biological Mechanisms of Aging at Harvard Medical School and a leading researcher on the biology of longevity. His team recently demonstrated in laboratory experiments that resveratrol has a life-prolonging activity not only in normal but also obese mice by activating “survival” genes. Resveratrol has also been shown to increase nitric oxide (NO) production by the endothelium (the thin layer of cells that lines the inner surface of blood vessels). Endothelial nitric oxide is a vasodilator, which means that it dilates the arteries in our body to protect organs from ischemic damage.

It is interesting to note that resveratrol molecules are manufactured under stress in plants as a means of fighting fungal infections. Furthermore, resveratrol is also classified as a phytoalexin (antibiotics produced by plants that are under attack) and therefore resveratrol concentrations are higher in grapes grown in cold and humid climates. This is the basis of Xenohormesis hypothesis which states that “animals have evolved to detect stress signaling molecules in other species, in order to obtain early warning of a deteriorating environment.” This was postulated by Sinclair and his colleague Konrad Howitz and helps explain the French paradox. Maroon also claims that V. rotundifolia Muscadine grapes are exceptionally beneficial because they have an extra chromosome (compared to V. vinifera cultivars) which produces the phytochemical ellagic acid, and is then transformed into ellagitannins which are believed to provide anticancer and other health benefits.

Flavonoids are a group of compounds found primarily in grape skins, stems, and seeds. Flavanols (also known as flavan-3-ols) as catechin and epicatechin are flavonoids found abundantly in grape seeds (as well as other “health foods” like green tea and dark chocolate) and are responsible for imparting that sense of astringency familiar to tannic wines. . There are also anthocyanins such as delphinidin and malvidin that are responsible for the red color found in grape skins and that are subsequently imparted to red wine during maceration and fermentation. And there are flavanols like quercetin that were found to be strong biological antioxidants that provide a number of health benefits that are maximized in the presence of resveratrol, which quercetin is more easily absorbed.

Recent research, in particular that of Roger Corder, professor of experimental therapeutics at the William Harvey Research Institute in London, England and author of The red wine diet, now shows that procyanidins are the active components.

Procyanidins, a subclass of flavonoids are also known as proanthocyanidins golden ace procyanidin oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) golden ace condensed tannins because they are formed from the condensation of flavonoids. They are found in high concentrations in grape seeds (which explains the recent rage of grape seed oil) and consist of long chains of repeating units of other flavonoids such as catechin and epicatechin. Young red wines are richer in procyanidins, and as the wine ages, the procyanidin molecules polymerize into longer, heavier, and less soluble chains that then precipitate to the bottom of barrels, tanks, or bottles. It follows logically then, as Corder claims, that the health benefits of red wine are maximized when it is drunk young. Additionally, different grapes contain different amounts of procyanidins and Corder’s research highlights Tannat as the richest red in procyanidin. vinifera variety.

Tannat grapes are used to make the wonderful Madiran wines, an important appellation in the foothills of the Pyrenees in southwestern France and Uruguay in southeastern South America. Tannat-based wines are remarkably intense, concentrated, and highly tannic, as the name suggests, when vinified using traditional winemaking techniques that emphasize phenolic extraction and little to no clarification and filtration. Red wines made by carbonic maceration or vinified as rosés or with a short maceration period will only contain low levels of procyanidins. As we have seen before, polyphenols are not as soluble in grape must and become more soluble in wine as the alcohol content increases during fermentation.

The concentration of procyanidin in grapes also depends on the age of the vines and on viticultural practices. In this regard, it may be beneficial to stress the vines, for example by limiting water intake and harvesting with low yields, and the older the better due to the additional stress of age that tends to favor phenolic concentration. A long, slow growing season is always preferred, however we cannot control mother nature.

So how do procyanidins work in our bodies to reduce the risks of atherosclerosis, cancer, dementia, diabetes, and other ailments and diseases? There are several biological mechanisms, two of which we examine here: antioxidant by reducing oxidative stress, and lipid-lowering (as the name suggests, lipid-lowering refers to a substance or compound that reduces the concentration of fats in the blood).

Procyanidins are powerful biological antioxidants (so is resveratrol) as are vitamins C and E. They are capable of fighting free radicals responsible for aging and disease. Free radicals are atoms, molecules, or ions with unpaired electrons that make them highly reactive and that can attack and damage key components in living cells, proteins within cells, and DNA, and can alter their proper function to initiate a disease such as coronary or malignant disease. Cancer. In your brochure ResveratrolMatilde Parente, MD rightly compared oxidative damage caused by free radicals to rust.

Procyanidins also inhibit LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol better known as bad cholesteroland raise the level of HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol or good cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is responsible for coronary thrombosis, that is, the formation of platelets in blood clotting that leads to the oxidation of LDL cholesterol and then to atherosclerosis, the most common form of arteriosclerosis in which fatty deposits accumulate in the arterial walls, which restricts blood flow and increases the risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack). Saturated fats from red or processed meats and trans fats are the main culprits for LDL cholesterol. Triglycerides, the main component of vegetable oil and animal fats, are also involved in atherosclerosis. HDL cholesterol contains more protein and less fat and actually removes LDL cholesterol from the blood and the lining of the arteries and transports it to the liver for breakdown and excretion.

On the lighter side of things, NYDailyNews.com reports that women who drink two glasses of wine a day experience greater sexual satisfaction than non-drinkers or those who drink one glass a day, according to researchers at the University of Florence, Italy. We can safely extrapolate these results to men, without the need for any scientific study. But gentlemen (and postmenopausal women), be warned: alcohol exacerbates snoring, which your partner may find unromantic and less inclined to invite you back on another sexual escapade. Therefore, be careful with wine (and other alcohols, in particular distilled spirits) and keep consumption moderate.

Do you need more good news to make wine part of your daily diet?