DID YOU KNOW. . . Alzheimer's disease risk may be reduced by the polyphenolic compounds found in purple grape juice as well as red wine, according to new research from New York's Mt. Sinai Hospital published in the Journal of Neuroscience. Dr. Giulio Maria Pasinetti and his colleagues found that the polyphenolics in grape seed extract (which makes its way into wine and juice) fights a type of plaque which causes brain deterioration, and could reduce the risk of Alzheimer's by 30% to 50% with normal (moderate) consumption. The research was funded in part by the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, and has led to a huge government grant for further study.

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JUNE
DID YOU KNOW. . . Resveratrol, that strange-sounding ingredient in red wine just keeps getting better in terms of health benefits, according to research.  Awhile ago, front-page stories around the country were reporting its seeming protection against diseases (like diabetes) linked to obesity. Another study published in Cell indicates that resveratrol increases endurance as well. The study found that mice given resveratrol could run twice as far as others before becoming exhausted, and have energy-charged muscels and reduced heart rates just like trained athletes. Based on research in Finland, the effect on humans is believed to be similar. The apparent mechanism is a transformation of the body's energy-generating cells that turns muscle fibers into the type characteristic of trained athletes. The lead researcher said, "Resveratrol makes you look like a trained athlete without the training." H-m-m, sounds good to me.

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MAY
DID YOU KNOW. . . Red wine may help regulate blood sugar levels in diabetics, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Food Biochemistry. The study showed that red wine might inhibit, by nearly 100% the activity of an enzyme responsible for triggering the absorption of glucose by the small intestine. White wine was far less effective (20% decrease), showing that the concentration of polyphenolics is the major factor, with red wine containing about 10 times as much. This research is very significant because more than 10 million Americans (7% of the population) have diabetes, with $92 billion of the $132 billion total costs directly related to medication. The authors suggest that specific beverage combinations could generate a whole food profile with the potential to manage type 2 diabetes and its complications, especially in the early stages.

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APRIL
DID YOU KNOW. . . Cancer risk may be reduced by 20% both by eating substantial and varied amounts of fruits and vegetables, and also by 20% by keeping alcohol intake within recommended limits in the case of aerodigestive track, colon, and breast cancer, according to a massive study released recently. Published by the World Cancer Research Fund, the report is the most comprehensive one ever written about the links between cancer and food, nutrition and physical activity; and was prepared by 21 international experts analyzing about 7,000 studies. In response to the study, Dr. R. Curtis Ellison, Founder and Director of the Institute of Lifestyle & Health (Boston University School of Medicine), said, "scientific data have repeatedly shown that the net effects of moderate drinking in middle-aged and older adults is a decrease in morbidity and mortality from many of the diseases of aging, and a lowering in total mortality."

Gee, morbidity/mortality sounds dreadful -- moderate drinking sounds great! So, where's the merlot?

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DECEMBER

DID YOU KNOW. . . New compounds that act like the red wine ingredient resveratrol may offer a new formula for diabetes drugs and other age-related diseases, researchers at U.S. drug maker Sirtris Pharmaceuticals reported in the media this week. "The excitement here is that we're not [just] talking about red wine anymore. We're talking about real drugs," said David Sinclair associated professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School, whose research appears in the journal Nature.

Sinclair and researchers at Sirtris have been looking for drug components that mimic the effects of resveratrol, the red wine element that has been shown in several studies to prolong the life of mice and reduce the advance of age-related diseases.

Their latest research shows these experimental drug components helped reverse diabetes symptoms and reduced insulin sensitivity in three different studies in diabetic mice. Sinclair said that this is enough to begin human testing, which the company plans for the first half of 2008 and that the chances of success in humans is estimated at 80 to 90 percent. "Other age-related diseases could include cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's," Sinclair said.

Great news! So, in the meanwhile, have another glass of Cabernet!

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NOVEMBER

DID YOU KNOW. . . Red wine may help prevent prostate cancer, according to a University of Alabama study published in the Journal of Carcinogenesis. Once again, the key component appears to be resveratrol, a naturally occurring fungicide that develops on grape skins to ward off disease and has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and total mortality. Resveratrol is prominent in many red wines, but not white because of the way wines are made; the color of red wines comes from the pigment in the skins, not the juice (which is yellow), and like the pigment the resveratrol also gets transferred during prolonged skin contact, which is minimal for white wines to avoid harsh flavors. The study showed that resveratrol-fed mice had an 87% reduction in risk of developing prostate tumors, mirroring a UAB study last year showing a similar risk reduction for breast cancer. The research team is now starting to test resveratrol consumption in humans. Meanwhile, the lead researcher said, "I drink a glass every evening because I'm concerned about prostate cancer. It runs in my family."

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OCTOBER

DID YOU KNOW. . . Cognitive function (thinking) is enhanced by moderate wine consumption, which also reduces the risk of dementia--but moderation is the key, according to several published studies from the U.S., China and Finland. The independent studies all came to the same overall conclusion that  mild to moderate alcohol consumption, compared with abstaining, was associated with better cognitive function or put another way, less cognitive decline among older people. However, the Finnish study also showed that binge drinking in midlife is related to an increase in dementia, particularly for those who had passed out from excessive alcohol intake more than once; and the Chinese study also indicated an association between heavy drinking and dementia. While the specific beneficial mechanisms of moderate drinking are not known, the authors of one study suggest that improvements in the good cholesterol (HDL), lowered risk of diabetes and insulin resistance, and less obesity --which are all seen among moderate drinkers -- may contribute to a reduced risk of both cardiovascular disease and poor cognitive functioning.

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SEPTEMBER

DID YOU KNOW. . . Lifestyle has often been considered a "confounding" factor in scientific and medical studies on wine consumption and health: Are moderate wine consumers generally healthier because they consume wine, or because they generally have healthier lifestyles than others? Finally, an important study seems to have an answer: It's the wine! The study examined a population that had only healthy lifestyles, with results indicating that those who consumed wine were healthier than abstainers. The study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed that even among very "healthy" men, those consuming 1 to 2 drinks per day had 62% lower risk of heart attack than people with the same healthy lifestyle who did not consume any alcohol. The results refute the common idea that less heart disease among drinkers is due to the lifestyle factors rather than their alcohol consumption.

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AUGUST

DID YOU KNOW. . . White grapes and wine may be just as healthy as red, according to a new study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. The conventional wisdom has been that the skin contact in making red wine adds powerful antioxidants to the wine which white wines don't have. But researchers in the united States and Italy showed for the first time that the flesh of grapes is as cardioprotective as the skin, and that the antioxidant potential of skin and flesh of grapes are comparable with each other despite the fact that flesh does not possess any anthocyanin activities. Basically, the skin and flesh act in different ways, but both have significant benefits in reducing the risk of heart disease when consumed in moderation. In any case, wine is not medicine, but pleasure, and the best wine is the wine you like best!

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JULY

DID YOU KNOW . . . Red wine is among "10 Foods That Pack a Wallop" of beneficial ingredients, according to a Time magazine's cover story on how to stay healthy. While appropriately emphasizing moderation, the piece mentioned the polyphenols and resveratrol from grape skins, which boost the good cholesterol and inhibit hardening of the arteries. Since the wine industry is legally prohibited by the federal government from advertising the positive health effects of moderate wine consumption, it is encouraging to see major media like Time (and 60 Minutes, on two occasions, informing the public. The other nine foods: tomatoes, spinach, nuts, broccoli, oats, salmon, garlic, blueberries and green tea.

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JUNE

DID YOU KNOW. . . White wine may be even better for you than red in terms of preventing diseases affecting bones and joints, according to research presented at a Wine and Health conference in California by Dr. Alberto Bertelli of the University of Milan.White wine contains anti-inflammatory compounds and anti-oxidants, which may prevent rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis--the smaller molecules in white wine (compared with red) are more easily absorbed into the bloodstream. Once again, moderation is the key: while up to two glasses a day can help, higher consumption appears to cancel out any benefits.


Once again, no wonder my grandparents lived into their 90's!

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