Resveratrol Benefits Your Heart

Research shows that red wine and something in red wine called resveratrol are heart healthy.

The resveratrol benefits found in red wine may help prevent heart disease by increasing levels of "good" cholesterol and protecting against artery damage.

While the news about red wine might sound great if you enjoy a glass of red wine with your evening meal, doctors are wary of encouraging anyone to start drinking alcohol because too much alcohol can have many harmful effects on your body.

Still, doctors do agree that something in red wine appears to help your heart. Researchers think antioxidants, such as flavonoids or a substance called resveratrol, have promising heart-healthy benefits.

The studies supporting red wine suggest that antioxidants in red wine called polyphenols help protect the lining of blood vessels in your heart. These antioxidants come in two main forms: flavonoids and nonflavonoids.

• Flavonoids: These antioxidants are found in a variety of foods, including oranges, grape juice, apples, onions, tea and cocoa. White wine and beer contain small amounts, too, but red wine has higher levels.

• Nonflavonoids: These antioxidants found in red wine have recently been of particular interest because they appear to help prevent arteries from becoming clogged with fatty blockages. Resveratrol is the nonflavonoid that's received the most attention from researchers.

Resveratrol might be a key ingredient in red wine that helps prevent damage to blood vessels, reduces "bad" cholesterol and prevents blood clots.

Animal Research Only: Most research on resveratrol benefits has been conducted on animals, not people. Research in mice which were given resveratrol has indicated that the antioxidant might also help protect them from obesity and diabetes, both of which are strong risk factors for heart disease.

However, those findings were reported only in mice, not in people. In addition, to get the same dose of resveratrol used in the mice studies, a person would have to consume 100 to 1,000 bottles of red wine a day.

Research shows that resveratrol and many other antioxidants could also be linked to a reduced risk of inflammation and blood clotting, both of which can lead to heart disease.