How can the French consume large amounts of fat and cholesterol - in cheeses and cream sauces - and still have fewer heart attacks than residents of the US or other western nations? The secret might just be in the wine they drink.

The French imbibe large amounts of wine - especially red wine. Since this seemed to be the one big difference in their diets as opposed to the dietary habits of other developed nations, health studies became focused on the wine. What was in the wine that made these people healthier?

All parts of the wine grape contain resveratrol – a compound also found in peanuts, lilies, and eucalyptus. The highest levels, however, are found in the skins of red grapes. In fact, grape skins contain about twice as much resveratrol as peanuts.

Plants produce resveratrol as protection against certain fungal infections. It acts as a sort of antibiotic. Most wine grapes are grown in cool climates, where the fungus thrives; therefore, the grapes have to produce more resveratrol in self defense.

Studies conducted in 2003 on worms, fruit flies, and different strains of yeasts revealed that large quantities of resveratrol increased the average life spans of these creatures. In 2006, researchers turned it up a notch and did experiments with a vertebrate – a species of fish. The fish that received large doses of resveratrol lived an average of half again as long as the fish that didn’t get the compound.

Studies done on mice are more compelling because they’re mammals. Resveratrol seemed to balance the effects of a diet high in fat, prohibit the growth of cancers, lower blood sugar, reduce the amount of wrinkles, and decrease inflammation.

A 2008 Cornell University study found that resveratrol significantly reduced the amount of plaque formations  in the brains of animals. This evidence could lead to a cure, treatment, and prevention for degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia in humans.

 According to television’s Dr. Oz, “Resveratrol does one other thing. It turns on a system in your body that prevents your cells from aging.” In the compound, he sees hope for cancer and inflammatory conditions, as well as diseases associated with the natural aging process.

Sounds exciting, right? Well don’t jump on that wagon yet. Most studies have been performed in vitro, with few studies performed on actual human beings. Doctors understand little about how resveratrol is absorbed and processed by the body, or its effects on the liver. Also, some resveratrol studies indicate that the compound actually increases the incidence of breast cancer.

If you’re interested in the possible benefits of resveratrol, it’s wise to discuss it with your doctor first. Be sure to tell him what other medications and dietary supplements you are taking, also.

Resveratrol may well turn out to be all it’s cracked up to be, but for now, we can only hope.  Ongoing studies are learning more and more about the compound, and as more physicians become interested, even more studies will be funded. The capsule form of the supplement is available in stores and on the internet.