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Home » Health Articles » How Resveratrol Packs Red Wine With Health

How Resveratrol Packs Red Wine With Health

Resveratrol has recently attracted great interest in connection with the the so-called "French Paradox" which has long puzzled medical science. As a polyphenol type flavonoid it is in any case a very useful anti-oxidant, but many now believe it also to be the explanation of the relatively low rates of cardiovascular disease enjoyed in France despite a national diet traditionally rich in cholesterol and saturated fat. The French, of course, are also known as high per capita consumers of alcohol, particularly in the form of red wine.

Recent research appears to have established that the consumption of alcohol in moderation offers significant protection for the cardiovascular system, and may even reduce the incidence of related diseases by as much as 30%. There is good evidence, however, that the resveratrol which is almost unique to red wine may provide benefits which go far beyond those which can be explained by the effects of the alcohol alone

This is not surprising in so far as fat-soluble anti-oxidants are known to be important protectors of the circulatory system against damaging attack from free radicals, and the resveratrol and other polyphenols found in red wine are likely to be highly beneficial in this context. Laboratory research, moreover, has revealed significant anti-inflammatory and blood anti-coagulant effects arising from the action of resveratrol.

But there's still more to resveratrol than this. It's known that some potentially harmful compounds in the body do not become carcinogenic unless and until they are metabolised by particular enzymes. Resveratrol has been shown in some laboratory research to help inhibit the activity of these enzymes and it seems possible that resveratrol may therefore have some protective effect against certain cancers.

Resveratrol has also been shown in the laboratory to slow the proliferation of DNA damaged cells, which have the potential to become cancerous, and to allow time for the repair or removal of DNA damaged cells before rapid and harmful proliferation can occur. Invasive cancer tumours depend on specialised enzymes to allow them to take over healthy tissue and also need to establish their own blood supply if they are to develop. Resveratrol has been found in the laboratory to have inhibiting effects on both these processes, perhaps principally because of its anti-inflammatory qualities.

Orthodox opinion, however, currently maintains that more large scale trials are required outside the laboratory before any protective effects of resveratrol against cancer can be definitively established.

But the anti-inflammatory properties of resveratrol may also have a significant protective effect in the battle against atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), a significant precursor of serious cardiovascular disease. Resveratrol has also been shown to play an important role in preventing the formation of the blood clots which if they obstruct a coronary or cerebral artery may lead to a heart attack or stroke, two of the leading causes of premature death or disability in the affluent Western world.

And amazingly enough it appears that resveratrol may also have a more direct effect in terms of increasing longevity. A good deal of research has shown that reduced calorie intake may increase lifespans, including those of certain mammalian species, apparently by increasing the activity of specific enzymes. Resveratrol has also been shown to stimulate these enzymes and to enhance the life spans of worms and fruit flies. It is not known whether these findings would be replicated in higher life forms, humans included, but there seems no logical reason why they should not.

To obtain a significant intake of this potentially highly beneficial compound from wine you need to concentrate on red wine, because only this is produced by a pulp fermentation including the red or black grape skins where most of the resveratrol is found. As a rule of thumb, the richer and darker the colour of the wine, the longer the pulp fermentation will have lasted, and the more resveratrol and other polyphenols the wine will contain. Generally speaking it is those produced in the sunnier latitudes which will have the highest concentration.

No toxicity issues have been reported from the intake of resveratrol, as such, although problems of course may arise if red wine is used to excess to achieve a desired high intake. Supplements of resveratrol providing up to 50 mg are now readily available, however; whilst moderate consumption of alcohol is now generally recognised as potential boon to health, and to be particularly protective of the cardiovascular system. So there seems to be every reason to continue to enjoy a couple of glasses of wine of an evening. And your enjoyment can only be increased by the awareness that the resveratrol it contains may well be doing your health a power of good.

And here is another random article you might be interested in...

Discipline Will Get You That Job

There are many facets of life that require discipline; getting up every morning to go to work, paying your bills, putting gas in your car and countless other things. However, many people consider looking for a new job as a hassle that can be addressed whenever the mood strikes them.

Many Americans today adopt the 'it can wait' attitude and their career search suffers as a result. Finding a job, just like putting food on the table, requires discipline and extreme effort to accomplish.

People who join the military get a taste of discipline during boot camp and basic training. However, even these folks lose a considerable amount of their discipline when they enter the working world. If you have the discipline to work out every day or to get up and go to work, then you have the discipline to find a new job and find it quickly.

Look everywhere for that job

The discipline required to find a good or even a great job starts with looking for that job. You have to look continuously and when I say continuously, I mean at every free minute that you have.

Finding that perfect job means leaving for lunch and going to the library to search the internet for jobs. It also means spending a minimum of one hour a night surfing the job boards to find that perfect job. And that is just the beginning.

Once you have disciplined yourself enough to spend all your free time looking for a new job, you can begin to divide your job search time into specific tasks. One important aspect of looking for a job is to make contacts. You do this by sending your resume to all placement agencies and letting them know your requirements for your new job.

Network with friends

You must also spend some time networking with your friends to see if they have any ideas for you. You should also spend time networking with acquaintances whose spouse might work for a good company or a person you met at church who works for a company that might be hiring. No matter what the source, you need to try and take advantage of any contacts you may have.

Another aspect of a disciplined job search is looking at all possible sources for a job. This might include multiple job boards, several newspapers, and many different company websites. It never hurts to send a resume to a company that is not hiring because they will generally keep your resume on file for 6 months.

Finally, it never hurts to use the phone book and call places where you might like to work. I have actually gotten a job while the market was terrible by blindly calling software companies to see if they needed help.

Stay positive and stay disciplined

Another important aspect of disciplining yourself to find that perfect job is to keep a positive attitude even in the face of rejection. I have sent out hundreds of resumes without a response but have managed to continue sending my resume until I landed a job.

Unfortunately, looking for a job is not like going to McDonalds. You can't just pull up to the drive through window and select your new job from the super value menu. Throughout your intense job search efforts, you must maintain a positive attitude and remain disciplined.

If you consider getting a new job or advancing your career as one of those events in life that require perseverance and discipline, you will succeed where others fail. If you are able to dedicate any and all free time to finding that perfect job, your efforts will be rewarded. So, put your nose to the grindstone and accept the fact that finding a new job is going to take lots of work and extra effort. It's going to require your utmost discipline.