Red wine holds key to better health for obese patients

An ingredient found in red wine can combat the harmful effects of obesity and reduce the risk of disease in the elderly, a clinical trial has shown for the first time.

When taken regularly a natural compound known as resveratrol, found in red wine and grapes, mulberries and peanuts, can offer similar benefits to low-calorie diets and endurance training.

As well as lowering the metabolism – meaning the body needs less food to generate enough energy – it can reduce levels of liver fat, blood pressure and blood sugar.

The compound also improves the rate at which the muscles burn fat, lessens insulin resistance and could protect against certain age-related diseases like Type 2 diabetes and cancer, experts said.

Unfortunately, to consume the amount of resveratrol given to patients in the study a wine-drinker would need to work their way through more than 13 bottles a night, doing far more harm than good.

But researchers said the 150mg dose could easily be taken as a daily capsule with water, or incorporated into existing food supplements.

cont at
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/h...-key-to-better-health-for-obese-patients.html

In moderation, red wine is great for all kinds of stuff. It even keeps me regular (lol).

The title of the article is really quite misleading.
What was shown was that resveratrol has been shown to have various good effects, but nobody could drink enough wine to get those good effects.
Even if someone did manage to drink 13 bottles of red wine a day, it would contribute over 5000 calories to their daily intake.
So red wine doesn't actually hold the key for obese patients, it seems.
Instead, a chemical found in red wine (or peanuts, etc.) could be extracted and used in such a way.

(Too bad, because I really enjoy red wine.
Then again, there are many health benefits (as well as risks) to drinking the wine itself that are already known.)

Reveratrol has been going around for a while as a supposed cure-all, they've been saying obesity, cancer, etc. etc., haven't got any definite consensus on what it can do yet though.