Does Red Wine Reduce Lung Cancer Risk?

Consider a humble glass of wine. Many compounds found in that wine, like polyphenols and resveratrol, offer a wide variety of health benefits. Now, new research studies are unearthing an increasingly complex web of healthy side effects to that simple glass of vino.

"Four More Reasons To Drink Red Wine : The Heart-healthy Beverage May Also Keep You From Developing Physical Disabilities or Alzheimer's Disease, " Newsweek Reporter Tina Peng writes:

"It's common knowledge that a glass or two of red wine a night will do more than enhance a great meal or put you to sleep: it can reduce production of "bad" cholesterol, boost "good" cholesterol and reduce blood clotting, all of which will help reduce the risk of heart disease. But recent studies are showing that wine aficionados may also reap even more benefits, from inhibiting tumor development to helping form nerve cells. Here's a roundup of four recent studies that might encourage you to uncork that bottle of merlot:"

1. It Can Help Keep You Fit: For senior citizens who are already in shape, moderate alcohol intake can help prevent the development of physical disabilities, according to a new UCLA study in the American Journal of Epidemiology. (The National Institutes of Health recommends no more than one drink a day for women and two for men.) Researchers found that moderate drinkers in a national survey had a lower risk than heavy drinkers or abstainers of developing physical problems that impeded their abilities to walk or dress or groom themselves. But don't take that as a cue to rest easy: the benefits only applied to seniors who were already in good health. Seniors in poor health may already be too close to developing disabilities for the wine to be of much use, researchers said.

2. It May Help Fight Alzheimer's. In animal trials, UCLA researchers found that compounds known as polyphenols, which naturally occur in red wine, can inhibit the development of proteins that deposit in the brain and form the plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease. Polyphenols also are highly concentrated in tea, nuts, berries and cocoa, the researchers, who did the study with Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, reported in the November issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry. The polyphenols block the formation and decrease the toxicity of the Alzheimer's-associated protein deposits, scientists found; they plan to start human clinical trials next.

3. It Boosts Heart-Healthy Omega 3 Levels. Moderate alcohol consumption helps boost the body's omega-3 levels, European researchers report in the January issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The fatty acids are usually derived from fish and help protect against coronary heart disease, but people who consumed alcohol, especially wine, in moderation (one drink for women, two drinks for me) had higher omega-3 levels independent of their fish intake, the researchers found after studying populations in England, Belgium and Italy. They hypothesize that this effect is due in part to polyphenols as well.

4. It May Lower Lung Cancer Risk. Moderate consumption of red wine may decrease the risk of lung cancer in men, researchers reported in the October issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. Analyzing data collected from the California Men's Health Study, they found that each glass of red wine consumed a month correlated with a 2 percent lower lung cancer risk. Men who drank one or two glasses of red wine a day saw a 60 percent reduced lung cancer risk. There were no similar benefits for white wine, beer or liquor drinkers, though, and smokers who drank red wine still, of course, had a higher lung-cancer risk than non-smokers.

You can read the Newsweek article here.

Study: Boost Your Omega-3 Fatty Acids With Wine

Common medical knowledge has us maintain our blood through a variety of ways. Perhaps we pop an aspirin, eat fish rich in the right kinds of cholesterol and fatty acids, and of course drink a glass of vino (preferably a nice red swimming with that wonder compound reversterol, derived from grape skins).

Now researchers say that wine may actually raise the level of that "good blood" fatty acid, omega-3.

Under the headline, "A Little Wine May Boost Heart-Healthy Omega-3," Reuters news service is reporting:

"NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A glass or two of wine per day may increase the amount of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids in a person's blood, a new study suggests."

"The study of European adults found that those who drank in moderation tended to have higher blood levels of omega-3 -- even when intake of fish, the major dietary source of the fats, was taken into account."

"The link was strongest among wine drinkers, compared with those who favored beer and spirits. The findings suggest that wine, in particular, may affect the body's metabolism of omega-3 fats, according to the researchers, led by Dr. Romina di Giuseppe of Catholic University in Campobasso, Italy."

"The results also point to an additional explanation for why wine drinking, in moderation, has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease, the researchers report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."

"Omega-3 fatty acids, found in oily fish like salmon and mackerel, are thought to protect the heart by lowering triglycerides (a type of blood fat), reducing inflammation and preventing heart-rhythm disturbances, among other benefits."

"For its part, wine may boost blood levels of "good" HDL cholesterol, reduce the chances of blood clots and improve the function of the blood vessel lining."

You can read the rest of the article here.

Drug Company Intensifies Wine Benefits In Pill Form

Grapes are the gift that keep on giving. Resveratrol is a healthy compound found in red wine that has been touted as the treatment for any number of ailments. The major drug companies have sat up an taken notice. One pharamceutical company, Glaxo Smith Kline, claims they have taken the healthy essence of wine and reduced it to an intensified pill form. Under the headline, "Glaxo Customized 'Red Wine' Drug Potent in Mice," Reuters reporter Michael Kahn writes:

"LONDON (Reuters) - A drug in development that mimics a health-boosting compound found in red wine may be a powerful weapon in the fight against obesity and diabetes, researchers said on Tuesday."

"A study of mice showed that the GlaxoSmithKline drug SRT1720 was about a thousand times more potent than resveratrol in activating an enzyme that helped the animals burn more energy and lower their insulin and glucose levels."

"Mice fed a high-fat diet were tricked into switching their metabolisms to a fat-burning mode that normally takes over when energy levels are low, researchers reported in the journal Cell Metabolism."

"'We are activating the same enzymes that are activated when people go to the gym,' said Peter Elliott, a vice president at Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, the Glaxo unit that developed the drug. 'That is why we believe the profile for this drug is very safe.'

"Resveratrol is found in abundance in grapes and in red wine and is believed to provide a number of health benefits, including preventing heart disease. An earlier study from the same team showed it lowered glucose and insulin in diabetics."

You can read the rest of the article here.

Drinking Wine: Better Than a Lead Suit?

Wine's many health benefits have been touted in this blog and elsewhere. But some of the medicinal qualities of fermented grapes are downright surprising bordering on the bizarre. How about using wine to treat radiation? Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore are claiming exactly that, with possible benefits for cancer patients undergoing harsh treatments.

Reuters Reporters Maggie Fox and Peter Cooney write about the high hopes placed on certain chemicals in red wine. Under the headline, "Wine Ingredient Protects Against Radiation: Report," Fox and Cooney write:

"WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A natural antioxidant commonly found in red wine and fruit may protect against radiation exposure, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday.

"Tests in mice showed that resveratrol, when altered using a compound called acetyl, could prevent some of the damage caused by radiation, the researchers told the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology meeting in Boston.

"Drugs made that way might be used in a large-scale radiological or nuclear emergency, said Dr. Joel Greenberger, a radiation oncologist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

"'Currently there are no drugs on the market that protect against or counteract radiation exposure,' he added. 'Our goal is to develop treatments for the general population that are effective and non-toxic,' Greenberger said in a statement.

"'Small molecules which can be easily stored, transported and administered are optimal for this, and so far acetylated resveratrol fits these requirements well.'"

You can read more about this wonder compound here.

Wine Could Fight Lung Cancer

Reuters is reporting another health benefit to the seeming panacea that is red wine. Under the headline, "Red Wine May Ward Off Lung Cancer: Study," Reuters wrote:

"NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Drinking red wine, but not white wine, may reduce lung cancer risk, especially among current and ex-smokers, new research indicates.

"People who had ever smoked and who drank at least a glass of red wine daily were 60 percent less like to develop lung cancer than ever-smokers who didn't drink alcohol, Dr. Chun Chao of Kaiser Permanente Southern California in Pasadena and colleagues found.

"But white wine didn't reduce risk, suggesting it could be compounds contained in red wine, such as resveratrol and flavonoids, rather than the healthier lifestyle associated with wine drinking, that may be protective, the researchers say.

"Studies examining the relationship between lung cancer and alcohol consumption have had mixed results, they note in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. Much of this research has failed to adjust for factors like socioeconomic status that can influence both alcohol use and lung cancer risk."

You can read the rest of the article here.

Could Grape Seeds Fight Alzheimer's?

Here's another article on the restorative qualities of wine. Under the headline, "Grape Seeds May Combat Alzheimer's: Extracts found in seeds could be key in treating neurodegenerative diseases; clinical trials to begin," Wine Spectator is reporting the following:

"Compounds commonly found in red wine and grape seeds may help treat and prevent Alzheimer's disease, according to new research from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

"The research, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, found that polyphenols derived from grape seeds during red winemaking (a family of compounds such as tannins, lignins and flavonoids) may be useful in fighting and preventing the degenerative disease, which attacks the brain. A four-month study, headed by Dr. Guilio Pasinetti, professor of neuroscience at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, discovered that the polyphenols helped reduce the deterioration of brain functioning in the mice.

"Pasinetti and his team gave nonlethal doses of grape seed extract to genetically modified mice that had attributes of Alzheimer’s disease. In studying the cognitive functionality of the animals following treatment, the researchers found that the polyphenolic extract from grape seeds helped prevent the formation of a beta-amyloid, which can cause a blockage in the brain, or plaques that have been implicated in memory loss and Alzheimer's. Tested animals modified with Alzheimer's were found to retain their normal brain function after doses of the grape derivative."

You can read about the rest of the medical findings here.

Red Grape Fiber Helps Fight Cholesterol, Lower Blood Pressure

The medical evidence extolling the benefits of wine just keep on mounting. According to a recent article in Wine Spectator, researchers believe the fiber in red wine grapes can play a significant role in keeping a heart healthy.

Under the headline, "Tempranillo Found to Lower Blood Pressure and Cholesterol," Spectator reporter Jacob Gaffney writes:

"While the antioxidants in red wine are believed to contribute to better cardiovascular health, researchers in Spain say the grapes used to make it contain significant levels of fiber that also assist in strengthening the heart. They have found that the fiber and antioxidants in the Tempranillo grape seem to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol better than other sources of dietary fiber, specifically oats and psyllium.

"The study, which is published in the July/August issue of the journal Nutrition, is a followup to earlier experiments from the same team that found that drinking 300 ml of red wine a day could contribute up to 7 percent of the Spanish daily recommended intake of fiber."

You can read the rest of the article here.