Red wine's cardioprotective properties a myth?

Researchers have found that resveratrol - an antioxidant in red wine and chocolate thought to have cardioprotective properties - has no positive effect on longevity nor the incidence of cardiovascular disease, cancer or inflammation.

While the lack of heart disease in France despite diets high in saturated fat and cholesterol has commonly been attributed to resveratrol and other polyphenols found in wine and dark chocolate, researchers from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine say they found no association between resveratrol and healthy ageing.

Data from the Aging in the Chianti Region study from 1998 to 2009 were studied. The authors sought to determine if resveratrol in the diet was associated with inflammation, cancer, cardiovascular disease and death. Levels were measured using 24-hour urine collections to look for breakdown products of resveratrol.

“In conclusion, this prospective study of nearly 800 older community-dwelling adults shows no association between urinary resveratrol metabolites and longevity,” the authors wrote in an article published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

“This study suggests that dietary resveratrol from Western diets in community-dwelling older adults does not have a substantial influence on inflammation, cardiovascular disease, cancer or longevity.”

The full article is available here.