When talking about resveratrol, the ‘French Paradox’ is often mentioned, or vice versa. So what is this ‘paradox’ and how does it relate to resveratrol?
The ‘French paradox’ refers to the fact that the French, who (on average) consume more saturated fat than the average person from the United States, actually have a lower incidence of coronary heart disease. Data from 1999 indicates that 230 out of every 100,000 males aged 35-74 died from coronary heart disease in the US whereas only 83 out of 100,000 in France. From this data, researchers suggested that it was from red wine French people consume. More research dedicated to this area found that it was the resveratrol found in the red wine which was responsible for their lower death rates.
Resveratrol, a potent antioxidant, is found naturally in a variety of plants, most notably of which, is grapes. Red wine has a relatively high level ofresveratrol due to the winemaking process, incorporating the seeds and skins of grapes, both of which contain resveratrol. Recent studies on resveratrol have established not only its cardio-protective benefits but also other important benefits such as anti-inflammation, anti-cancer and antiviral. Resveratrol is even found to protect the brain against several neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease.
Researchers have also noted that red wine not only contains resveratrol, but also contains up to 600 different compounds, some of which may interact with resveratrol and provide beneficial health effects themselves. One of these includes quercetin, another antioxidant found in grapes that help resveratrol circulate in the bloodstream for a longer period of time, increasing the benefits resveratrol offers.
Although resveratrol is found in most red wines, there is still much research to be done on resveratrol and red wine as well as its link to the ‘French Paradox’. No one knows for sure how much red wine is needed to provide sufficientresveratrol for the beneficial health effects the French has. However, Dr David Sinclair of Harvard University believes that 10 glasses of red wine a day provides enough resveratrol for remarkable health benefits and perhaps even enough resveratrol to increase the lifespan of mice.