The Procyanidins of Red Wine and Their Anti-Aging Effect

[Antaletriangle]

http://www.naturalnews.com/025034.html

(NaturalNews) Moderate red wine drinkers have less incidence of heart disease than non-drinkers and now scientists are confirming a direct correlation between red wine and many powerful anti-aging benefits. Moderate consumption of some red wines may be a very effective way of improving your cardiovascular health as well as your lifespan. However, it is important to choose the correct red wine.

Unfortunately, only traditional production methods have been determined to produce the high concentration of the active ingredient necessary for anti-aging benefits. This ingredient is found in the wines produced in Southwest France and Sardinia, Italy. When the wines from these regions were tested, researchers found higher levels of polyphenols. In fact, they found up to 5 to 10 times higher concentrations in these wines, than in wines from New World countries.

They wondered what the difference between these wines was. They eventually determined that the traditional production methods used in these regions insured that the beneficial compounds were extracted more efficiently. This is likely the reason for the strong association between consuming traditional lines and overall good health and longer life spans.

Researchers tested further to determine which were the most potent polyphenols. After purifying the most active polyphenols, they determined that procyanidins were found most abundantly in red wine. In fact, in some traditional red wines, up to 1 gram per liter was detected.

In addition, the researchers found contradictory evidence to the claims that resveratrol is the magic ingredient to good health. They found the levels of resveratrol to be so low that one would need to consume 1000 L per day to get the desired benefits.

So, what is different about traditional wines? Traditional wines are processed using full extraction methods. This requires more skill to produce. These wines are also more tannic. More recent wines are typically described as having smooth tannins and this corresponds with almost no procyanidins.

The following factors have been identified as directly affecting the procyanidins content in wines.

1. The selection of grapes - based on the ripeness

2. The amount of time that seeds and skins are in contact with the fermenting juice

3. Any filtration processes performed

Typically, traditional wines ferment for approximately one month. This results in the full extraction of procyanidins. In contrast, more modern wines typically ferment for only a few days. This is only enough time for the color to be extracted from the grape skins.

Using overripe grapes results in a wine with less procyanidin content and higher sugar content. A red wine that is more sweet and has higher alcohol content has significantly lower procyanidin content.

Procyanidins have shown direct benefits on arterial function in blood vessels. In fact, polyphenols have been determined to have a protective effect on the vascular system to the point where they improve the endothelial cells that line the arteries.

To realize these health benefits one must consume red wine that is less sweet and has a lower alcoholic content. For the most health benefits, one or two glasses of red wine with a meal are optimal. Grape seed extract has been shown to lower blood pressure as well. Two small glasses of red wine would provide the same effect as grape seed extract.

Red wines from Southwest France are the ideal wine to choose.

[Gnosis5]

I have been taking Resveratrol Complex from "RGarden". One of our members is a distributor for this company and I purchased it from her.

namaste
gnosis

[Dantheman62]

Also a very sweet wine from the southeast US made from Muscadine grapes is very high in Resveratrol!

[Dantheman62]

Everything you wanted to know about Resveratrol! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resveratrol

[AndyH]

Interesting, does anyone here know of any specific brands to go for from the SW of France or Sardinia?

There is for example a cheap brand of wine at Tesco etc that is labelled as being from the Bordeaux region but I doubt very much if they are any good at all.

[Swanny]

I drink wine

[Antaletriangle]

Just look for realtively low alcohol content(i should say 9-10% or lower ),dry,red south west France,Sardinia on the labels.

[Swanny]

Originally Posted by Antaletriangle

Just look for realtively low alcohol content(i should say 9-10% or lower ),dry,red south west France,Sardinia on the labels.

If I had to drink low alcohol wine I wouldn't want to live longer

[Gnosis5]

Swanny, you are invited to all my parties

gnosis

[Swanny]

Thx Gnosis

[Dantheman62]

In general, wines made from grapes of the Pinot Noir and St. Laurent varieties showed the highest level of trans-resveratrol, though no wine or region can yet be said to produce wines with significantly higher resveratrol concentrations than any other wine or region.

[Allie]

I lived in Paris for seven years. I'm all red-wined out now

[Dantheman62]

HaHa, bunch of winos, I picked up a bottle from a company called Duplin Wine Cellars from Rose Hill, North Carolina, US, just because it was a muscadine wine high in resveratrol and the alcohol was 12% but it totaly sucked!, yuk, should've known better! It was like a cross between grape juice and cranberry juice and way, way to sweet! could've poured it over ice I guess, HaHa

[Antaletriangle]

Red Wine May Improve Long Term Quality of Life

http://www.naturalnews.com/025191.html
NaturalNews) A phytochemical believed to be responsible for the life-extending benefits of red wine may improve quality of life for the elderly, according to a study conducted by researchers from the National Institute on Aging and Harvard Medical School, and published in Cell Metabolism.

Prior studies have demonstrated that the phytochemical resveratrol lengthens the lives of yeast, flies, worms and fish. Research has also demonstrated that it improves the health and lengthens the lives of obese mice on a high-fat diet.

In the current study, researchers gave a daily resveratrol supplement to middle-aged mice that were on either a normal or calorie-restricted diet.

Scientists have discovered that animals consuming 30 to 50 percent less calories than normal live significantly longer, show less age-related cognitive and physical decline, and have less risk of age-related diseases and stress than animals eating a normal diet.

"But we can't have half of America going permanently on a diet," said researcher Rafael de Cabo. "It's not practical, and it's not going to happen."

Mice that were given resveratrol experienced the same improvements in heart, bone, muscle and liver health as mice on a calorie-restricted diet. All the resveratrol-supplemented mice also exhibited improved health and vigor over the long-term, but they did not actually live longer. The chemical only appeared to increase the lifespan for animals on a high-fat diet.

Resveratrol is found in high levels in grape skins and red wine, and smaller quantities in the crusts of peanuts and walnuts. But researchers are not yet sure if drinking red wine would produce the same effects as resveratrol alone.

"It's very hard to extrapolate from this finding to comment on the benefits of red wine directly, because red wine has many other compounds besides resveratrol, including ethanol [alcohol], which has very active biological effects," de Cabo said. "But red wine is a good source of resveratrol … if these effects translate into humans, it will have a very good impact on the standard of human health."

Sources for this story include: www.washingtonpost.com.

[Antaletriangle]

Funny thing is i have a bottle of red cabernet sauvignon here,well half!?lol.

[Swanny]

Originally Posted by Antaletriangle

Funny thing is i have a bottle of red cabernet sauvignon here,well half!?lol.

Hehe nice one

[Jacqui D]

Arrrr!!! now i get why you are on the vino Wayne!!
Longevity A!
Ha Ha, then we better all drink to that one my friend lol!
I think i need some more hick hick hick !!!!! lol!

[Carmen]

Yup Pinot Noir, I grow pinot noir grapes. Got two hectares of them. Theres 13 barrels to be bottled in April. If you're passing through New Zealand, call in and I'll give a fine bottle of wine. Its luuuuuuvly. Gonna be great trading stuff when theres no money'. And healthy to.