Want To Stay Healthy? Drink Up! Red Wine May Offset Poor Diet
AUSTIN, TX (CBS) – Researchers now say that drinking red wine might help counteract the effects of a poor diet on the immune system.
The study, which was recently published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, shows that resveratrol – a chemical prevalent in red wine, grapes, peanuts and berries – can not only slow the aging process but may also protect against weight gain and the negative effects of obesity.
According to researchers, one of two groups of overweight mice was fed a diet enriched with resveratrol, while the other group was fed a high fat diet without the chemical. While the mice in the non-resveratrol group showed 60% body fat and greatly reduced T cell production at the end of 10 weeks, those mice in the group put on the diet enriched with resveratrol gained less body fat and retained most of their thymic function. Thymic aging is characterized by fat accumulation and reduced T cell production. Decreased thymic activity is believed to be one reason why the elderly are more susceptible to illness.
"Even if you have a very unhealthy diet, there are things you can consume simultaneously that can help protect you from some of the ill effects of an unbalanced diet," Christopher Jolly, lead researcher and an associate professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin, said in a release. "Resveratrol is one of those things."
While researchers say additional studies are needed to determine optimum resveratrol dosage for humans, this study offers just another reason to enjoy that glass of red wine after work.
To see the full study, click below.
Wine Aging And Obesity Study
