Red wine is the most popular type of wine. Beside its attractive colors, red wine has incredible benefits. It is said that drinking wine can boost the immune system, thus protected from various diseases. This evidence led to French wines labeled as a Paradox.
In France, the number of patients with coronary heart disease is much smaller than the population of the United States, even the smallest compared with other European countries. In fact, the French consume more fat and smoking, as well as relatively less mobile. The researchers linked this phenomenon with the habits of French people who like red wine in everyday life.
A study in Europe showed that red wine contains more phenolic compounds than white wines. Phenols or flavonoids are powerful antioxidants, which have cardio protective effects (protects the heart from free radical attack).
Flavonoids may prevent the oxidation of LDL (bad cholesterol), 20 times stronger than vitamin E. Flavonoids are proven to have very strong biological effects as antioxidants, inhibit the clotting of the pieces of blood cells, stimulates production of nitrite oxidation that can dilate blood vessels, and also inhibit cancer cell growth.
When red wine fermented, a complex of flavonoid compounds break down into simpler, thus more easily absorbed than that found in fresh fruit. The presence of alcohol (10 percent) in the flavonoid content of wines made stable.
According to Agricultural Research Service in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the second compound contained in wine is very promising for preventing cancer. Research shows that a compound found in wine is pterostilbene (terro-STILL-bien).
This compound has the ability to prevent cancer, just as powerful as resveratrol, an antioxidant compound in grapes that had previously been found. Pterostilbene also show strong Growth inhibition of breast cancer cells.
Resveratrol in wine is one component of which is very useful. Based on several published research, resveratrol is very beneficial for maintaining heart health. A study, showed that resveratrol could inhibit angiotensin II, which is a hormone that can cause high blood pressure and heart attacks.
Resveratrol is also a good anti-cancer agent to prevent prostate cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer, and breast cancer. A publication in The Journal of Applied Toxicology, July 2003, showed resveratrol can reduce benzopyrene which is a component of cancer-causing free radicals.
Besides resveratrol, French researchers also managed to find acutimissin component A in red wines which are anticancer. Acutimissin classified in class A ellagitannin polyphenols. A study showed that acutimissin A can inhibit enzymes that have activity as cancer cells. Acutimiisin A has 250 times better potential to inhibit cancer cells compared to anti-cancer drug VP-16. In addition, red wine also contains the hormone melatonin. This hormone can help calm the mind, so someone can sleep more soundly.