Article Posted: Friday, September 14, 2007
by Paul Cribb, B.H.Sci HMS
AST Director of Research
It’s the French paradox. People in France (and southern Europe in general) have the lowest incidence of heart disease in the world. This is despite the fact that they 1) stuff themselves full of butter and cheese and 2) most of them smoke like chimneys!
I’ll give you an example, the average French person consumes well over 100 grams per day of fat from animal sources (the average American consumes about 70 grams). The French eat four-to-five times as much butter and cheese as Americans do and nearly three times as much pork.
However, despite this artery-clogging regime, this population has one of the lowest levels of heart and cardiovascular disease on the planet. What’s their secret?
It’s called wine my friends. And more specifically, the active ingredient in red wine; a compound called resveratrol.
Resveratrol is definitely one of the biggest discoveries is nutritional science. This amazing ingredient is naturally abundant in dark grapes, in particular, the skin of dark grapes. Unfortunately, resveratrol oxidizes quickly, losing its metabolic potency in the process. That’s why fresh grapes are not a great source. However, red wine is a potent source of resveratrol as the fermentation process retains this phytoestrogens’ unique capacities.
As you may know, phytoestrogens are naturally occurring plant-derived non-steroidal compounds that are functionally and structurally similar to steroidal estrogens, such as estradiol produced by women. Aside from emerging as a likely candidate for natural hormone modulation in women, this compound may provide benefits to men. There are animal studies which show that sperm count and plasma testosterone is higher in male animals that consume resveratrol! 1
Resveratrol has already been shown to have powerful anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. 2,3 However, apart from all of these potential benefits, there is one more reason I think resveratrol is extremely interesting.
Resveratrol has also been shown to dramatically increase the rate at which cells metabolize fat. Resveratrol is shown to stimulate the SIRT1 gene to produce a protein called sirtuin-1 which blocks a receptor on fat cells. When this receptor is blocked, lipolysis (the breakdown of fat) is increased and the formation of new fat (adipogenesis) is decreased.4 Other studies have shown that the stimulation of this protein by resveratrol also activates the genes that promote a longer, healthier lifespan.
I’ll give you an idea of how much I believe in the health benefits of resveratrol. Previously I never drank red wine and never really cared for it’s taste at all. However, based on the steadily accumulating health benefits of resveratrol, I now try to drink a half-glass of red wine with my evening meal, almost every night. This small amount won’t have any detrimental effect on body fat and it’s all that’s required to provide some rather powerful health benefits.
Best of all, the red wine doesn’t have to be the expensive variety either. If you shop around a bit, or even join one of those wine clubs, you’ll find a bottle for around 5 bucks that is very drinkable. Dare I say it, enjoyable! Just be sure to seal the bottle tightly as red wine tends to go acidic.
I’m not advocating that consuming large amounts of red wine is going to get you a lean, ripped midsection. Not for a second. Alcohol is alcohol; it is a calorie-dense nutrient that acts a lot like fat in promoting calorie storage.
However, bodybuilders need to get their head around the idea that science is unveiling previously “hidden” compounds in regular foods that have profound benefits on our metabolism and physiology. Sometimes these compounds are found in foods that are not your typical bodybuilding fare. Smart bodybuilders will incorporate this new research into their diets and reap the benefits of resveratrol.
References
1. J Nutr 2005;135:757-60.
2. Cell Cycle 2006;5:1027-32.
3. Curr Drug Targets 2006;7:423-42.
4. Nature 17:429;771-776, 2004.
http://www.ast-ss.com/articles/article.asp?AID=291
