COULD RED WINE SERVE AS A DIET PILL?

Big victory for the wine industry last week after researchers at The Harvard Medical School and the National Institute of Aging announced that a natural substance in red wine, resveratrol, helped extend the life and improved the health of middle-aged, obese mice. Overweight (or should I say “big bone”) mice that were fed resveratrol derived from red wine lived 20% longer than overweight mice that did not get the compound. The research suggests that a pill may some day be available to help people who have trouble losing weight.

This bit of science helps lend proof to the “French Paradox,” studied by Dr. SergeRenaud. The “Paradox” refers to the uniquely French ability to stay largely protected from cardiovascular disease due to regular wine consumption despite their fat-laden diet.

Now keep in mind that the mice consumed far more resveratrol than any humans could imbibe with their wine, about 300 times more, and that there's no evidence so far that resveratrol in supplements extends human life. It could take years for that kind of research to surface.

Ever since the research was made public, many health food stores are reporting sudden increase in the demand for resveratrol. Although resveratrol has been on the market for 30 years, it was never a big seller until now.