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Does drinking a glass of red wine twice a day, as many of the French do, help promote better health? Many researchers believe the answer is a resounding, "yes," basing their beliefs in part on the fact that Mediterranean people, especially the French, live longer and have a relatively low incidence of heart disease while indulging in rich, high-fat diets. The "French Paradox" was first discovered when epidemiologists tried to explain these low death rates. The results of studies have shown that the risk of heart attack is 20 to 40 percent lower among red-wine drinkers compared to non red wine drinkers. The "Copenhagen City Heart Study" which followed 13,000 people over a period of 10 years showed that teetotalers had twice the risk of dying from heart disease as people who drank a moderate amount of red wine every day.

Nobody is certain exactly why this happens, but it looks like a combination of mechanisms may be at work. First, the credit goes to the red pigments in grape skins. These are members of a family of compounds called proanthocyanidins, very powerful antioxidants which are part of a larger category of compounds called flavonols. Second, the tannins in red wine help prevent blood platelet cells from clumping together and triggering a heart attack. And third, other studies have found that any alcohol can raise levels of HDL, the "good" cholesterol, inhibiting platelet clumping which could result in a heart attack.

The use of proanthocyanidins has been well studied in Europe. Scientifically documented benefits include enhanced capillary strength and vascular function, which helps the heart and decreases PMS problems, bruising, edema from injury or trauma, varicose veins, leg swelling and retinopathy; enhanced immune system; increased peripheral circulation, improving vision; reduced adverse allergic and inflammatory responses; and reduced skin aging and loss of elasticity.

If you are not currently a moderate red wine drinker and are reluctant to add alcohol to your diet, don't worry, substitutes are available. Proanthocyanidins exist in many types of foods. Some of the highest concentrations are found in grape seeds and pine bark (sound tasty?), but you can also eat blueberries, apples, oranges, tea, and other fruits and vegetables that contain different combinations of flavanols (20,000 have been identified). Supplements made from both grape seed extract and pine bark are available in health food stores and some pharmacies. The pine bark products are called Pycnogenol.

More good news: Findings from a study at the University of Illinois indicate that a compound commonly found in grapes may be effective in combating many of the stages of cancer. Mice who were injected with resveratrol not only experienced slower tumor growth, but 98 percent fewer skin tumors. Red wines are rich in resveratrol, while lighter wines contain lesser amounts. Nonalcoholic alternatives include peanuts, mulberries and grapes.

In other research studies, resveratrol kept cells from turning cancerous and stopped the spread of malignancies. Resveratrol also blocked cell inflammation, which is linked to arthritis and other diseases. 

A recent study at the University of North Carolina concludes that resveratrol acts like an antibiotic to protect grapes from fungus, and may turn off a protein that guards cancer cells from cancer-fighting therapies such as chemotherapy. Results of the study are published in the July, 2000, issue of Cancer Research.

Here's a suggested variation to the French Paradox: Take a grape seed or Pycnogenol supplement at lunch and drink one glass of red wine with dinner. For chewy between-meal snacks, consider raiding the nearest
pine tree -- just kidding.

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