In a study from the Institute of Food Science and Technology at the National Research Council in Avellino, Italy, normal human blood cells were subjected to experiment-induced oxidation, to observe the possible protective effects of red wine polyphenols, groups of chemical substances found in plants.
In 2000, Drs. I. Tedesco, M. Russo, P. Russo, G. Iacomino, G.L. Russo, A. Carraturo, C. Faruolo, L. Moio, and R. Palumbo tested red blood cells, treated with a small dosage of resveratrol, and analyzed the cells for signs of oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is a harmful condition caused by damage from free radicals and not enough anti-oxidants to neutralize the free radical activity in cells. This is associated with aging and often results in permanent cell damages.
The study found that, in this experiment, incubating the red blood cells with oak barrel aged red wine resveratrol prevented the provoked oxidative changes. However, the protective effect was less apparent when the red blood cells were incubated with wines that had lower levels of polyphenols. Wines with high levels of polyphenols have more anti-oxidant properties than wines with lower polyphenol levels.
These findings demonstrate that non-alcoholic properties of red wine, mainly the polyphenols, have strong anti-oxidant properties. This research supports the suggestion that red wine has a beneficial effect in oxidative stress conditions.
7:09 am on August 9th, 2010
I really enjoy wine. I remember the first time I tried some when I was just 11 years old. My mom let me taste a bit of her red on Thankgiving. Right then and there I became a wine drinker. lol I would guess that I have tried quite a few hundred different wines over the years. It’s kind of fun experiencing a new one and learning about how and where it was grown. I’ve been thinking about checking out a wine club lately and I’ve been thinking about this 4 Seasons club. I read a review about it there. Have you had any experience with it, or would you recommend any other wine tasting club?