Previous epidemiological studies suggested that alcohol, and thus wine, beer, and spirits, was the compound responsible for the purported health benefits through its negative effects, such as alcoholism and social impacts, impaired cognitive development, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), and increased risk of breast cancer in women are 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 clot breakdown. And in the edition of May 31, 2009, wine viewer cites research from Stanford University that states aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2) enzymes break down alcohol and “remove toxic byproducts created by the breakdown of fats in cells during a heart attack. Removal of byproducts prevents further damage to heart cells.”

Although alcohol plays a favorable role, more recent studies have shown that red wine provides greater protection against disease, and therefore that there are other important health 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 the Latin flavonewhich means “yellow” and not “flavor”, 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 healthy attributes of red wine. However, modern quantification methods reveal that the amount of resveratrol in wine is too low, particularly in wines processed with fining agents such as PVPP, to have any significant health consequence 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 extensively studied Dr. David Sinclair’s research on the subject. Sinclair is Director of the Paul F. Glenn Laboratories for the 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 life-prolonging activity not only in normal mice but also in obese ones by turning on “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 combating fungal infections. Additionally, 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 cool, 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 gain 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) that produces the phytochemical ellagic acid, and is then transformed into ellagitannins that are believed to provide anticancer and other health benefits.

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

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

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

Tannat grapes are used to make the wonderful wines of Madiran, a major appellation in the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains in southwestern France and Uruguay in southeastern South America. Tannat-based wines are remarkably deep in color, concentrated, and highly tannic, as their name suggests, when vinified using traditional winemaking techniques that emphasize phenolic extraction and little or no clarification and filtration. Red wines made with carbonic maceration or vinified as rosés or with a short maceration period will only contain low levels of procyanidins. As we have seen above, polyphenols are not as soluble in grape juice 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. Stressing the vines, for example by limiting water intake and harvesting at low yields can be beneficial in this regard and the older the vines the better due to the additional stress of age which 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 hypolipidemic (as the name suggests, hypolipemic refers to a substance or compound that reduces the concentration of fats in the blood).

Procyanidins are powerful biological antioxidants (just like resveratrol) just like 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 making them highly reactive and they can attack and damage key components in living cells, proteins within cells as well as DNA and can disrupt their proper functioning to initiate a disease such as CHD or cancer. cancer. in your brochure resveratrolMatilde Parente, MD rightly liked the 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 the good cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is responsible for coronary thrombosis, that is, the formation of platelets in blood coagulation that leads to the oxidation of LDL cholesterol and then to atherosclerosis, the most common form of arteriosclerosis in which deposits of fat on artery 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 of LDL cholesterol. Triglycerides, the main constituent of vegetable oil and animal fats, are also implicated 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 those who don’t drink or 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 for another sexual adventure. So be careful with wine (and other alcohols, particularly distilled spirits) and keep your consumption moderate.

Do you need more good news so that wine is part of your daily diet?