due to more than just alcohol
A review article of the latest studies looking at red wine and cardiovascular health shows that drinking two to three glasses of red wine daily is good for the heart, according to a School of Medicine researcher writing in the Journal of American College of Surgeons.
"The current consensus is that it is not just the alcohol, but something else," says Dr. Bauer Sumpio, professor and section chief of vascular surgery in the Department of Surgery. "There are probably several mechanisms of protection from a cardiovascular viewpoint."
He says researchers have been trying to pinpoint why red wine has a cardiovascular protective effect ever since the discovery of the so-called "French Paradox" in 1992 when researchers found a 40% lower mortality rate from ischemic heart disease among people in France despite the high amount of saturated fats in their diet.
Sumpio says there are several studies showing drinking two to three ounces of straight alcohol each day has a beneficial effect, but any more than that and the alcohol begins to have a negative health effect. Studies comparing spirits, beer and wine show some benefit from spirits and beer, but an overwhelming benefit from drinking red wine.
His laboratory found polyphenols, minus the alcohol, are powerful anti-oxidants. Polyphenols also are found in fruit, particularly berries, as well as in green tea and chocolate. Anti-oxidants are known to slow cell deterioration. The polyphenols also help prevent the build up of plaque on the smooth muscle cells, as well as inhibit platelet formation, which can lead to blood clotting. "A better understanding of the health benefits of red wine and perhaps the specific polyphenolic extracts with the described properties would be a great contribution to society," Sumpio says.
Co-authors Dr. Alfredo Cordova, Dr. La Scienya Jackson and David Berke-Schlessel are all from Yale. The research was supported in part by the North American Foundation for Limb Preservation.
-- By Jacqueline Weaver
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