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 The French Paradox > The effect of drinking red wine on cardiovascular health.
Literally hundreds of scientific studies have documented the benefits of moderate, regular consumption of certain red wines. These studies conclude that red wine is the key to cardiovascular health. This is because of the complex components in red wine such as resveratrol and quercetin which have been identified as the leading agents in helping to maintain good cardiovascular health. But not all grapes or wines are equal. For example, scientists believe that red wine provides more cardiovascular benefits than white wine
Why? The keyword is Resveratrol. Resveratrol is the antioxidant found in certain red grape species which scientists now believe may be a key to the French Paradox. Specifically, it is said to be responsible for raising HDL (good cholesterol) levels and lowering LDL (bad cholesterol) levels in the blood.
Resveratrol is a natural fungicide that is found only in certain types of grape species prone to fungus and that are grown in humid climates. Pinot Noir is a wine for example that is especially high in resveratrol, but a Pinot Noir from Chile may have very little resveratrol in it. So while certain red wines contain between 50 to 100 times more resveratrol than certain white wines, the level of resveratrol will vary greatly. It depends on the species of grape, the geographic origin of the grape and the processing methods.
Resveratrol has been used for thousands of years to treat cardiovascular disease in Japan and China. In the United States, the wines often have had the resveratrol removed because of the filtration process. French wines with their sometimes cloudy appearance have higher resveratrol concentration. Resveratrol makes the difference. The single most important substance in wine and grape seed extract is resveratrol.
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