In a 2003 study from the Psychiatric Clinic at the University of Basel in Basel, Switzerland, Drs. Egemen Savaskan, Gianfranco Olivieri, Fides Meier, Erich Seifritz, Anna Wirz-Justice, and Franz Müller-Spahn found that resveratrol, a red wine ingredient, has characteristics that protect the nervous system from Alzheimer’s disease.
Resveratrol, a natural plant compound mainly found in red wine, has been shown to be heart protective and cancer protective. Studies have shown that moderate red wine intake is associated with a lower risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
The findings of this study suggest that red wine may help protect the nervous system through the actions of resveratrol. A possible neuro-protective effect of resveratrol was suggested by studies observing elderly subjects over a 3-year period. This study showed a relationship between moderate daily red wine consumption and the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. The doctors examined the resveratrol antioxidant effects of the polyphenol against oxidative stress (too many free radicals in the body) caused by beta amyloid, and found that resveratrol maintains cell development and therefore possesses distinct nervous system protection effects.
This experiment tested how resveratrol’s nervous system protection capacities could fight against beta amyloid-related cellular stress. Beta amyloid is a protein that leads to memory loss. This protein accumulates in clumps in the brain as a result of a gene variation and leads to memory loss and dementia, which are features of Alzheimer’s syndrome. This protein is a neuro-toxic substance and has been implicated in cell death during the course of Alzheimer’s disease.
Effective concentrations of resveratrol dosage are not usually found in natural occurring products and foods. The highest concentrations are found in red wines from Cabernet-Sauvignon, Pinot noir, and Merlot grapes. White wines have much lower resveratrol concentrations. Overall, a moderate red wine intake may provide a natural source of resveratrol, but it can be found in much higher concentrations in resveratrol supplements.