Scientists at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine have released findings of a study showing that combined grape polyphenols consumed at normal levels have greater healing abilities than isolated compounds taken in capsule form, even when those compounds are taken at much higher doses. According to the study, getting the combined polyphenols from drinking red wine is more effective at inhibiting the proliferation of estrogen receptor-positive and estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer cells, as well as at inhibiting cell cycle progression and primary breast tumor growth.
Polyphenols in red wine have also been found to protect livers from alcohol damage. Researchers from the College of Medicine at the University of South Florida have shown that resveratrol, a member of the grape polyphenol complex, may be helpful in preventing and treating human alcoholic fatty liver disease. According to the scientists, resveratrol reduces the amount of fat produced in the livers of mice that have been fed high levels of ethanol. They found that it also increases the rate that existing liver fat is broken down. And most notably, they discovered that the combination of ethanol and resveratrol had a greater impact than resveratrol alone.
In addition to resveratrol’s ability to inhibit the development of fat cells, other studies have shown that it prevents fat cells from maturing and hinders fat storage in mature cells. It also reduces the production of substances linked to the development of such obesity-related disorders as diabetes and arteriosclerosis. And resveratrol stimulates the formation of adiponectin, a protein known to decrease the risk of heart attack, but is diminished by obesity.
So why don’t polyphenols in capsule form have the same healing power? According to Dr. Erik Skovenborg, co-founder of the Scandinavian Medical Alcohol Board, extracted polyphenols are not easily protected from oxidation. He recommends getting an ample supply of antioxidants from fruits, vegetables, oils and wine to “arm the cells of the body with heavy antioxidant artillery to face any threat.”
News Release: Drink red wine and keep breast, livers and brains healthy www.naturalnews.com March 26, 2009
