Superfoods reducing inflammation - Red Wine
Dr Paul Clayton 2004
The root of much heart and vascular disease is now
widely reckoned to be endothelial dysfunction (ED), a
chronic inflammatory condition that afflicts the blood
vessels and is caused by such factors as smoking and a
poor diet. ED is known to respond particularly well to
flavonoids, the health-promoting compounds found in
such foods as fruits, berries, tea – and chocolate. In fact,
given the way we eat, it is likely that for many of us tea
and chocolate are the main sources of these vital
phytonutrients.
Red Wine
If flavonoids really are heart-healthy, then red wine
should be the healthiest of alcoholic beverages – and
so it would appear. A little alcohol has long been
known to be cardio-protective, partly because it
causes vasodilation (it makes the blood vessels
open up); but some drinks are clearly more
equal than others.
A recent trial pitching red wine against gin
suggested that wine does indeed have heart
health benefits over other alcoholic drinks. The new study,
carried out by scientists at Jefferson Medical College in the US
and at the University of Barcelona, found that both drinks had
anti-inflammatory effects – but red wine reduced levels of
inflammatory substances (such as C-reactive protein, CRP) in
the blood far more effectively than did gin(1).
According to the lead researcher Professor Emmanuel Rubin,
‘It's clear from these results that while drinking some form of
alcohol lowers inflammatory markers, red wine has a much
greater effect than gin.’ In other words, this means that
moderate consumption of red wine should reduce the risk of
heart attacks and strokes – and there are plenty of
epidemiological studies which show exactly this.
Red wine is a particularly good source of flavonoids – but
while dark chocolate combines flavonoids with calories, red
wine (obviously) combines them with alcohol. Previous
studies have already demonstrated that non-alcoholic red
wine is just as cardio-protective(2); so if you want a healthy
heart and a slim waist, and don’t drink alcohol – then it looks
as if a well-designed supplement containing good levels of
flavonoids should be equally protective.
What is ‘a good level’? Judging by Professor Rubin’s
stringent regime (2 glasses of red wine per day for 28 days),
400 mg /day should be more than ample.
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