Breaking News 1/26/06
VRP Staff
Researchers have determined that consumption of red wine lowers inflammatory markers such as C-Reactive Protein and the clotting factor fibrinogen.
The study authors evaluated the effect of moderate Sicilian red wine consumption on cardiovascular risk factors and inflammatory biomarkers. They studied 48 subjects (male and female) who never or rarely drank red wine and randomly subdivided them into two groups. The first group of 24 subjects consumed 250 ml per day of Sicilian red wine during meals for the first 4 weeks, followed by 4 weeks when they returned to their usual wine intake. The second group of 24 subjects drank their usual wine intake for the first 4 weeks, followed by 4 weeks when the diet was supplemented with 250 ml per day of Sicilian red wine.
The researchers measured a number of cardiovascular risk factors in the subjects. At the end of the red wine intake period, LDL/HDL, fibrinogen, plasma C-Reactive Protein and oxidized LDL were significantly decreased, while levels of HDL (the “good” cholesterol) and total plasma antioxidant capacity were significantly increased.
C-Reactive Protein is a marker of inflammation and elevated levels may indicate an increased risk of heart disease. Fibrinogen plays a key final role in the cascade that results in the clotting of blood. Elevated blood levels of fibrinogen have been identified in a number of studies to be a major risk factor for coronary heart disease and strokes. LDL, the “bad” cholesterol, causes damage to the body after it is attacked by free radicals and oxidized, and reducing LDL oxidation can help mitigate its harmful effects on blood vessels.
According to the researchers, “Our results show a positive effect of two Sicilian red wines on many risk factors and on some inflammatory biomarkers, suggesting that a moderate consumption of red wine in the adult population is a positive component of the Mediterranean diet.”
Reference:
Avellone G, Di Garbo V, Campisi D, De Simone R, Raneli G, Scaglione R, Licata G. Effects of moderate Sicilian red wine consumption on inflammatory biomarkers of atherosclerosis. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2006; 60:41-7.
Anyone who does not want to consume wine can try VRP’s Red Wine Polyphenols or the red-wine-derived component Resveratrol.
