Johns Hopkins Health Alerts | Heart Health | Let Them Drink Wine

In recent studies, mice were less likely to die early if they received large doses of resveratrol – a substance found in red wine. But does this data translate to humans? Read what Johns Hopkins advises …

You’re sure to have heard reports that some alcoholic beverages, including red wine, offer cardiovascular protection. Now red wine is in the spotlight again, thanks to research suggesting that red wine has age-defying benefits that can counter the effects of an unhealthy diet. But before you reach for your wine glass, consider the science behind the headlines.

Despite a diet high in saturated fats, the French have low rates of heart disease. This phenomenon has been labeled "the French paradox." Some researchers theorize that the French enjoy pâté, cheese, and butter without harm because they regularly drink red wine, which contains chemicals like antioxidants that, when found in food, are believed to help prevent disease.

The substance that has received the most attention is resveratrol. It is most plentiful in red wine and found in lesser amounts in white wine, grape juice, and grapes themselves.

The latest red wine data come from researchers at Harvard Medical School and from a group of French scientists.

• The Harvard study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that middle-aged mice fed a high-fat diet (described as the equivalent of “coconut cream pie for every meal”) were less likely to die early if they received large doses of resveratrol. The lucky mice grew fat, but they were less likely to develop diabetes and were otherwise as healthy as mice fed a standard diet.

• The French study, published in Cell, found that a group of mice fed a high-fat diet and high doses of resveratrol had lower insulin levels, were able to run twice as far, and weighed almost the same as mice eating a regular, resveratrol-free diet.

These results sound promising, but it’s highly questionable whether they will translate to humans.

You could never get these benefits from drinking red wine; to get as much resveratrol as the mice in the Harvard experiment, a 150-lb. person would have to drink about 750 bottles of red wine daily.

And while publication of these scientific articles led to a huge increase in resveratrol supplement sales, there is no information on the benefits (or dangers) of resveratrol pills in people. In addition, supplements are pricey, and supplement manufacture is not regulated by the FDA; it’s impossible to know whether the supplements you purchase truly contain the amount of resveratrol advertised.

Pharmaceutical companies are experimenting with resveratrol-based therapies, but even if they’re successful, it will be years before these drugs become available. For now, drink red wine for pleasure and your heart.

Johns Hopkins Health Alerts | Heart Health | Let Them Drink Wine