Red Wine and Resveratrol - Can it Prevent Weight Gain?

Lovers of red wine can rejoice. They can raise their glasses in jubilation to the research-backed hype whipped up by recent popular TV shows that the red ambrosia is the "fountain of youth".

The fount of youth springs from Resveratrol, the antioxidant compound in red wine. Resveratrol is a phytoalexin that is naturally produced by plants in order to fight off bacteria and fungi.

Clinical research has established that Resveratrol, with its diverse range of biochemical activities can prevent Type 2 Diabetes, cancer and atherosclerosis and improve digestive health by destroying bad bacteria in the intestines.

The interest in resveratrol reached maniacal heights when it was found that it inhibited lab mice from becoming obese despite being fed high calorie diets. Compared to the mice that were not given resveratrol, those that were fed the drug ran twice as far on a treadmill, gained less weight, and lived about 20 percent longer. In fact, their organs post-mortem looked pristine, youthful, and fat-free. Scientist speculated whether, similar to rats, an alteration of the function of fat cells could be effected in humans. Trials on people with untreated diabetes indicated that resveratrol significantly lowered glucose and insulin levels in the diabetic patients. Resveratrol was also found to inhibit fat storage by activating the production of a protien called adiponectin, which is known to reduce the risk of heart attacks and is decreased by the onset of obesity. It was also reported that resveratrol also activated a gene called SIRT1, which is responsible for reducing the development of new fat cells and increasing the use of fat within existing fat cells.

Many resveratrol supplements have appeared in the market. There is need for caution, though. Resveratrol may stimulate the growth of human breast cancer cells, possibly because resveratrol's chemical structure is similar to a phytoestrogen, an estrogen-like substance found in some plants.

Perhaps resveratrol can account for the “French Paradox” –the enigma why the French eat a high-fat diet but do not gain much weight.