That's Fit

A bottle of red. A bottle of white. Turns out both may keep you healthy tonight (Billy Joel, I am not). Though previous research suggested that red wine offered cardiovascular benefits, a new study out of the University of Connecticut reveals that a nice Chardonnay may also do the trick.

The previous misconception about white wine stemmed mostly from what was known of the actual wine making process. You see, to make white wine, the grape's skins are removed before fermentation. During the making of red wine, however, these skins are left in tact. And, since it is the skin that contains resveratrol, an antioxidant that has been shown to improve blood flow, it was assumed that red wine was far healthier.

But, researchers at UConn beg to differ. In their studies, they determined that an unidentified antioxidant found in white wine offers similar heart protection. According to the researchers, drinking a glass or two of either red or white wine should therefore have equal benefit.

Martha mentioned recently the potential that one day, we may need only a pill to maintain a healthy weight and live a long life. Wouldn't that be grand? Maybe. But I'm here to tell you we're a long way off from such a dream. That magic pill, likely to house the supplement Resveratrol, isn't quite ready for human use.

Resveratrol, a natural substance that comes from the skin of red grapes, has been shown in studies to keep mice thin, boost their energy, and extend their lives, all while protecting them from the dangers of an unhealthy diet. Resveratrol also helped mice maintain their motor skills as they aged. There have been no similar studies in humans.

Don't pop that cork and conduct your own studies just yet. You'd have to down 1,000 bottles of red wine to consume as much Resveratrol as each mouse was given. Until further notice, just stick with a handful of red grapes. The fiber, vitamin B, and manganese packed into this juicy fruit is good enough for now.

Wish you could get fit without having to do all that pesky working out? I doubt you're alone -- lots of people are looking for a 'quick fix', something that will help them get healthy without actually having to change the unhealthy habits that they're so fond of.

So here's some news that might interest you: Researchers are looking into how to give people the benefits of exercise in a pill form. The pill, which is a concentrated form of Resveratrol, can potentially give you the same metabolic boost that a workout can, and it's been shown to ward off diseases in mice much like exercise does.

But is replacing exercise with this 'pill' a good idea? I think not. Seriously people, what's wrong with getting off the couch and going to the gym every once and a while? You'll feel great if you do -- I promise. So stop with the excuses and do something good for your body -- the hard way.

The debate that continues to rage on regarding the health effects of red wine just took a turn into the "super universe" it seems. In the new "The Red Wine Diet" book by Roger Corder, he states that red wine is good for treating just about any human ailment, from heart disease to dementia.

Corder's book is an offshoot from an article in Nature magazine last year that zeroed in on procyanidin, a 'vasoactive polyphenol' that helps reduce the risk of heart disease. But other human diseases as well?

Corder argues against the popular reasoning of the chemical resveratrol as the main component in red wine that gives healthy effects when consumed, and instead focuses in on procyanidin. His advice? Three glasses of red wine a day is good for men; for women, two glasses.

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Did you know ... When we lift our wine glasses and toast to a long and healthy life, we may also be holding in our hands the beverage to actually make that happen. Resveratrol, a substance found in red wine, is an antioxidant produced in abundance in red grapes as an aid in fighting fungi.

In the wine-making process, fermentation produces resveratrol, and it is then preserved when the wine is bottled. Resveratrol is about twenty to fifty times more effective than vitamin C alone as an antioxidant. And it acts synergistically with vitamin C enhancing the effects of each.

Resveratrol has an anti-clotting effect that prevents the formation of blood clots in the blood vessels. Plus, it may have anti-cancer effects as well. Resveratrol may extend a person's lifespan by having the same effect upon the body as calorie restriction. Calorie restriction activates an enzyme called SIR2. SIR2 is thought to extend a person's lifespan by stabilizing DNA.

Resveratrol is a small molecule that mimics calorie restriction. When a person drinks a glass of red wine, the body thinks it is being deprived of food. When this happens, genes are switched "on" that repair DNA. The end result? Your "hungry" body may not be as adversely affected as it would be on a calorie rich diet!

So, the next time you have glass of red wine, toast to a long life!

Are you a win drinker? If you're a guy and drink red wine regularly, you may be protecting yourself from possible prostate cancer. In fact, new research shows that those men who consumer four to seven glasses of red wine per week will only have 52% the chance to be diagnosed with prostate cancer later in life.

Red wine (and resveratrol in the grape's skin) are thought of to have immense cancer-prevention capabilities, and that thinking even extends into advanced forms of cancer as well.

But, are the alcohol-related effects of red wine enough to push some people away (men, in particular) from drinking it in the first place? that's a valid concern, right?

For more information on preventing or managing cancer, please visit The Cancer Blog.

Are you a wine drinker? I am on occasion at special events and at family gatherings, but that's about the only alcohol I touch. Why? Calories, baby. And, those ill effects on healthy of course.

But wine has benefits for healthy like antioxidants and resveratrol, right? There are many differing opinions on whether wine is healthy or not. One of the most recent opinions comes out of India, where doctors stated that wine drinking has not been shown by anyone to have a positive effect.

The overall thinking? That alcohol in any beverage is not good for human healthy, even if there are good components in the product itself (like in wine).

What's your viewpoint?

Orange juice is a staple of breakfast everywhere, and we seem to take for granted that its good for us. True, it has lots of vitamin C, but what if I told you there is an even healthier juice out there? Grape juice has been getting lots of good publicity lately, because of a substance in it called resveratrol. Resveratrol has been touted as an anti-aging elixir, and it has a number of other benefits.

So does that go for another version of grape juice -- wine? As it happens, the answer is YES! So drink up -- in moderation, of course -- and let those antioxidants go to work.

Are you familiar with resveratrol? This component found in grapes (grape skins, to be exact) is well known in the health industry to have excellent health benefits. In fact, it's included in some high-end supplements for those who aren't regular drinkers of natural grape juice and even wine.

But, experts now say that recent research that shows resveratrol can can make fat mice live longer, reduce their heart disease and increase their stamina don't just apply automatically to humans, and further research must be done.

I won't give up taking resveratrol on its many forms, that is for sure -- but I also consider it to be just one weapon in the arsenal to remain healthy (not an overall fix).

The consumption of red wine has been debated before in terms of the contents of wine actually being quite healthy while some contents being, umm, not so healthy (like overconsumption of alcohol).

The head of research at the Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology in France states that red wine is indeed healthy by explaining how wine works at the cellular level in humans.

As long as consumption is kept at a moderate level, perhaps all that red wine is doing some good inside your body. I know that I am a fan of red wine on occasion.

Rigel Gregg from That's Fit posted on a recent study on Resveratrol recently, which is a component of grapes -- and hence, wine -- that was seen to cause healthier lives for obese mice that were fed the chemical compared to a control group of obese mice that were not fed the chemical.

In recent years, Resveratrol research has shown that the molecule can extend lifespan in yeast, flatworms and fish. The new study focused on the precept of a high-fat but extended-longevity connection that the country of France has long called the "French paradox". What an apt name that is -- eat all the cheese and high-fat foods you want and have a very long life. Sounds good, eh?

I do look for higher doses of Resveratol on the supplements I take daily, and the best way is to get the chemical from eating grapes, or moderate intake of wine as well -- particularly a cabernet or merlot for starters.

So you're already worrying a little less about your morning coffee routine, and now you can worry less about that glass of wine with dinner. A study published this week found that the compound resveratrol, found in red wine, combats the effects of obesity and extends the lifespan of mice.

Obese mice given large quantities of resveratrol experienced two main benefits -- they were healthier and lived longer -- all without losing any weight. David Sinclair, associate professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School, said "These mice were the rodent equivalent of Lance Armstrong, except that they were still fat."

That's a weird visual.

But researchers warn that the results are only in mice and as of yet there are no findings on what effects equivalent large quantities of resveratrol would have on humans. They are hopeful, though, that stronger versions of the compound -- or other similiar compounds -- can be used to combat many of the health related problems facing the obese population.