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Have you ever wondered why the French, with their high fat diet, are less prone to heart disease than many of their Western counterparts? In the early nineties scientists began looking at red wine to try and discover why French people are able to eat a high-fat diet, without having a higher rate of heart disease.
Resveratrol, a plant compound in red wine, was at first dismissed as a toxicant, but on further study was found to have marked antioxidant properties. Scientists began to test resveratrol, only to find that this compound may have many positive effects on people, ranging from anti-cancer properties, to aiding with weight loss.
Used in traditional Asian medicine for heart disease, resveratrol has caused a stir as the positive effects are explored. Resveratrol is found mostly in the skin of grapes. The concentration is higher in red wine, as it is fermented with the skin and more resveratrol is able to be absorbed, as opposed to white wine, which is fermented without the skin. Although still containing levels of resveratrol, white wine has significantly less than red wine.
Resveratrol is a natural substance made by grapes in response to a fungal infection. Grapes sprayed with pesticides have less resveratrol, thus organically grown grapes in humid areas contain more resveratrol in the skin. It has been suggested that there is another part of the wine-making process that converts piceid into resveratrol, as red wine has twice as much resveratrol as commercial grape juices.
Generally, wines made from the grapes of the St. Laurent and the Pinot Noir varieties have the highest levels of trans-resveratrol. It must be noted however, that excessive consumption of alcohol can be dangerous to a person’s health. This is why people are exploring the use of resveratrol in supplements, as too much wine can also have an adverse affect on humans, negating the positive effect of this antioxidant.
Peanuts have about half the amount of resveratrol found in red wine. Blueberries have less than ten percent than the amount of resveratrol found in grapes. Cooking, or processing by heat reduces the amount of resveratrol by up to half. Cranberries are also a natural source of resveratrol.
The fruit of the mulberry contains resveratrol, especially the skin, and is used as a supplement. The most popular source for supplements is derived from Japanese knotweed.