The Benefits of Red Wine - Review

Benefits of all alcohol:

Studies on the use of alcohol have shown protective effects against coronary heart disease (CHD). These studies show that one or two alcoholic drinks per day increases high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Also, moderate alcohol consumption decreases low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides. Finally, alcohol consumption decreases platelet aggregation.


Benefits of Red Wine

There has been some discussion recently, including an article in the New York Times, pointing out that there is a difference in lifestyle among people who drink wine, beer, and other alcoholic beverages, including social class and diet, that may also explain why wine seems to offer more protection than others against coronary heart disease. (1)

Regardless, wine, especially red wine, really does seem to have benefits that the other sources of alcohol do not have, including:


REDUCES INFLAMMATION

Red wine may have anti-inflammatory effects. It reduces C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation that seems to be related to atherosclerosis. (2)



ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES

Red wine has higher concentrations of antioxidant molecules, called polyphenols, than other alcoholic drinks. The antioxidant properties of these polyphenols may contribute to protection against coronary heart disease by reducing oxidation of LDL cholesterol. (3) The polyphenols in red wine include anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, and resveratrol, and flavonoids, including catechins, kaempferol, and quercetin. (4,5) However, the polyphenol content of wine is dependent upon grape variety, climate, and the methods used to make the wine. White wines, unlike red wines, have very low polyphenol concentrations.



IMMUNE SUPPORT

Red wine may also reduce mutagenic DNA damage and improve endothelial function when included in a high fat diet. (6) Wine can stimulate gastric acid secretion and gastrin release. This may explain why moderate to high wine intake seems to prevent Helicobacter pylori infection. (7) Finally, the anthocyanins in red wine may help prevent various cancers. (8)



OTHER BENEFITS

Red wine may help to prevent noise-induced hearing loss (9), reduce the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (10), may help to prevent cataracts (11), and may help to prevent rheumatoid arthritis (12).



REFERENCES

1. Rimm EB, Stampfer MJ. Wine, beer, and spirits: are they really horses of a different color? Circulation 2002;105:2806-7.
2. Estruch R, Sacanella E, Badia E, et al. Different effects of red wine and gin consumption on inflammatory biomarkers of atherosclerosis: a prospective randomized crossover trial. Effects of wine on inflammatory markers. Atherosclerosis 2004;175:117-23.
3. Klatsky AL, Armstrong MA, Friedman GD. Red wine, white wine, liquor, beer, and risk for coronary artery disease hospitalization. Am J Cardiol 1997;80:416-20.
4. Caccetta RA, Croft KD, Beilin LJ, Puddey IB. Ingestion of red wine significantly increases plasma phenolic acid concentrations but does not acutely affect ex vivo lipoprotein oxidizability. Am J Clin Nutr 2000;71:67-74.
5. Soleas GJ, Diamandis EP, Goldberg DM. Wine as a biological fluid: history, production, and role in disease prevention. J Clin Lab Anal 1997;11:287-313.
6. Leighton F, Cuevas A, Guasch V, et al. Plasma polyphenols and antioxidants, oxidative DNA damage and endothelial function in a diet and wine intervention study in humans. Drugs Exp Clin Res 1999;25:133-41.
7. Brenner H, Rothenbacher D, Bode G, Adler G. Relation of smoking and alcohol and coffee consumption to active Helicobacter pylori infection: cross sectional study. BMJ 1997;315:1489-92.
8. Hou, D. X. Potential mechanisms of cancer chemoprevention by anthocyanins. Curr Mol Med. 3(2):149-159, 2003.
9. Seidman, M., et al. Effects of resveratrol on acoustic trauma. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 129(5):463-470, 2003.
10. Obisesan, T.O., et al. Moderate wine consumption is associated with decreased odds of developing age-related macular degeneration in NHANES-1. J Am Geriatr Soc. 46:1-7, 1998.
11. Jonasson, F., et al. Abstract B198: Moderate red wine drinking reduces risk for cataract. Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. Fort Lauderdale, USA. May 4, 2005.
12. Kallberg, H., et al. Alcohol consumption is associated with decreased risk of rheumatoid arthritis; Results from two Scandinavian case-control studies. Ann Rheum Dis. 2008.

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High Protein Diets Threaten Bones and Muscles

"Alkali Load" May Help Conserve Bone and Muscle


Agricultural Research Service (ARS)-funded scientists have recently reported that compounds in plant foods, which are alkali-producing, may help preserve bone and muscle mass. Now, a new ARS-funded study suggests that reducing the acid load that accompanies the typical high protein diet may also be important.

Diets high in protein and low in fruits and vegetables result in mild "acidosis" with aging. That's because protein metabolism releases acids into the bloodstream in amounts that override the alkalinizing effect of potassium and bicarbonate in plant foods.

The researchers studied results from a group of 19 healthy individuals, older than 50, who were on a controlled diet. To simulate consumption of the equivalent of eating about 14 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, nine of the participants were randomly assigned to receive 3,510 milligrams daily of potassium bicarbonate in capsules. The other 10 participants were assigned to receive matching "placebo" capsules.

Once the volunteers gradually reached the maximal level of daily potassium bicarbonate or placebo capsules, all 19 participants were successively given a 10-day low (or high) protein diet followed by a 10-day high (or low) protein diet, with a five-day “wash out” period in between.

The researchers wanted to look at both an alkali-producing diet (the potassium bicarbonate group) and an acid-producing diet (the placebo group). Blood, urine and calcium absorption analyses were performed after each diet period, and markers of muscle and bone metabolism were measured.

With increased dietary protein intake, the potassium bicarbonate, or alkalinized, group--when compared to the placebo group--had reduced urinary nitrogen excretion, which is an indicator of reduced muscle wasting. The alkalinized group also had higher levels of IGF-1, a marker of both muscle and bone conservation, and of calcium absorption--a marker of bone conservation--on both protein diets, compared to the placebo group.

The study suggests that the net effect of adequate dietary protein on muscle may be enhanced by reducing its accompanying acid load, according to the authors. Though not tested in the study, increasing intake of fruits and vegetables would be another way to increase the alkali potential of the diet, according to Dawson-Hughes.

Another study produced similar results:

Fruits and vegetables are metabolized to bicarbonate and thus are alkali-producing. But the typical American diet is rich in protein and cereal grains that are metabolized to acid, and thus are acid-producing. With aging, such diets lead to a mild but slowly increasing metabolic "acidosis."

The researchers conducted a placebo-controlled study involving healthy male and female volunteers aged 50 or older. Key measurements were taken at the beginning and end of the intervention, which lasted three months.

A group of 78 volunteers had been provided either of two bicarbonates—potassium or sodium—along with their usual diet and exercise regimes. Key bone mineral nutrients were controlled to reduce variation in study outcomes. The bicarbonate groups consumed an amount of bicarbonate equivalent to about 9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. This allowed the researchers to look at possible acid-neutralizing effects from an adequate, not high, alkali load.

The results showed that the 78 volunteers in the bicarbonate groups had significant reductions in biomarkers that are associated with bone loss and fracture than the 84 in the no-bicarbonate, or control, group.

The authors concluded that increasing the alkali content of the diet, for example by consuming more fruits and vegetables, merits further study as a safe and low-cost approach to improving skeletal health in older men and women.

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Walnuts Improve Performance

Dietary Intervention Shows Neuroprotection

Adding a moderate, but not high, amount of walnuts to an otherwise healthy diet may help older individuals improve performance on tasks that require motor and behavioral skills, according to an animal model study by Agricultural Research Service (ARS)-funded scientists. Walnuts contain polyphenols and other antioxidants and essential fatty acids.

The aging brain undergoes many changes that can result in altered or impaired neuronal functioning. Such disruption can be attributed in part to alterations in "synaptic plasticity," or the ability of the connections between neurons to change in strength and function, and also by increased oxidative damage to neural tissue. In aged rodents, these impairments are seen as poor performance on age-sensitive tests of balance, coordination, and "spatial" working memory.

For the study, weight-matched, aged rats were randomly assigned to one of four diet groups. For eight weeks, the rats were fed special chow mixes that contained either 2 percent, 6 percent or 9 percent walnuts-or no walnuts-before undergoing motor and memory tests. For comparison, the 6 percent walnut study diet is equivalent to a human eating 1 ounce, or about 7 to 9 walnuts, a day. That counts as both a 2-ounce equivalent from the "meat and beans group" and 2 teaspoons toward a daily allowance of dietary oil, as described at MyPyramid.gov.

The study found that in aged rats, the diets containing 2 percent or 6 percent walnuts were able to improve age-related motor and cognitive shortfalls, while the 9 percent walnut diet impaired reference memory. Walnuts, eaten in moderation, appear to be among other foods containing polyphenols and bioactive substances that exhibit multiple effects on neural tissue, according to the researchers.

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Dietary curcumin could stall the spread of fat-tissue

Benefits of Compound in Turmeric Spice Studied


There may be a new way to spice up your weight loss routine, according to results from a new animal model study by Agricultural Research Service (ARS)-funded scientists and colleagues.

The researchers theorized that dietary curcumin could stall the spread of fat-tissue by inhibiting new blood vessel growth, called angiogenesis, which is necessary to build fat tissue. Curcumin is a bioactive component in curry and turmeric that has been consumed daily in Asian countries for centuries without reported toxic effects.

The study was led by nutritionist Mohsen Meydani at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University in Boston, Mass. Meydani is director of the HNRCA's Vascular Biology Laboratory.

Eighteen mice were assigned to three groups of six mice each. For 12 weeks, the mice were fed special diets. A “control” group’s mix contained 4 percent fat, a “high fat” group’s mix contained 22 percent fat, and another group was fed the same “high fat” diet supplemented with curcumin. A mouse typically eats about 3,000 to 3,500 milligrams (the weight of about six or seven paper clips) daily, so the curcumin-supplemented mice would have consumed about 1.5 to 1.75 milligrams of curcumin daily—a relatively small amount.

The researchers recorded the body weight and food consumption of the mice twice each week. At the end of the 12-week period, their total body weight and fat distribution were measured.

The study found that supplementing the animals’ high-fat diet with curcumin reduced body-weight gain and total body fat, even though food-intake was not affected, when compared to the nonsupplemented high-fat-diet group.

The curcumin-treated group also had less blood vessel growth in fat tissue. Blood glucose, triglyceride, fatty acid, cholesterol and liver fat levels also were lower.

At this time, it is not known whether the amount of curcumin normally present in food dishes prepared with turmeric is sufficient to inhibit complex fat-tissue secretions that are involved in recruiting new blood vessel growth. The researchers’ next step is to determine the effectiveness of dietary intake of curcumin in reducing weight in humans.

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Eating vegetables lowers blood pressure

Component of vegetable protein may be linked to lower blood pressure

Consuming an amino acid commonly found in vegetable protein may be associated with lower blood pressure, researchers report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Researchers found that a 4.72 percent higher dietary intake of the amino acid glutamic acid as a percent of total dietary protein correlated with lower group average systolic blood pressure, lower by 1.5 to 3.0 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). Group average diastolic blood pressure was lower by 1.0 to 1.6 mm Hg.

Systolic blood pressure is the force when the heart beats; diastolic pressure is the pressure when the heart rests between beats.

This average lower blood pressure seems small from an individual perspective. But, on a population scale, it represents a potentially important reduction, said Jeremiah Stamler, M.D., lead author of the study.

"It is estimated that reducing a population's average systolic blood pressure by 2 mm Hg could cut stroke death rates by 6 percent and reduce mortality from coronary heart disease by 4 percent," said Stamler, professor emeritus of the Department of Preventive Medicine in the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago, Ill.

Based on American Heart Association 2009 statistics, 6 percent of stroke deaths would be more than 8,600 people and four percent of coronary heart deaths represents about 17,800 lives saved per year.

"High blood pressure is a major cardiovascular disease risk factor, and blood pressure tends to rise with age starting early in life so that the majority of the U.S. population age 35 and older is affected by pre-hypertension or hypertension," he said. "We have a massive public health problem, and trying to address it by the strategy that has prevailed for years — diagnosis and drug treatment — is inadequate. While clinically useful, it fails as a long-term approach for ending this massive problem."

The only long-term approach is to prevent pre-hypertension and hypertension by improved lifestyle behaviors, Stamler said. This includes maintaining a healthy body weight, having a fruit and vegetable-rich eating pattern and participating in regular physical activity. His previous study, INTERSALT, was instrumental in helping show that high-salt diets contribute to high blood pressure.

In the current study, researchers examined dietary amino acids, the building blocks of protein. Glutamic acid is the most common amino acid and accounts for almost a quarter (23 percent) of the protein in vegetable protein and almost one fifth (18 percent) of animal protein, Stamler said.

Researchers analyzed data from the International Study on Macro/Micronutrients and Blood Pressure (INTERMAP), on 4,680 people in 17 rural and urban populations in China, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. INTERMAP is a basic population study aiming to clarify the role of multiple nutrients in the etiology of unfavorable blood pressure patterns prevailing for most middle-aged and older individuals. Stamler and colleagues analyzed data from eight blood pressure tests, four diet recall surveys and two 24-hour urine collections for each participant.

"Although our research group and others earlier reported an association between higher consumption of vegetable protein and lower blood pressure, as far as we know this is the first paper on the relation of glutamic acid intake to blood pressure," said Ian J. Brown, Ph.D., co-author of the study and a research associate in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at Imperial College London.

Common sources of vegetable protein include beans, whole grains — including whole grain rice, pasta, breads and cereals — and soy products such as tofu. Durum wheat, which is used to make pasta, is also a good source of vegetable protein.

Stamler noted that there are no data on the possible effects of glutamic acid supplements and emphasized the importance of "improved habitual food intake for the prevention and control of hypertension, not popping pills."

Stamler said the INTERMAP Study may help explain on a molecular level why the Dieatary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet lowers blood pressure. The DASH eating pattern, developed by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, is rich in fruits, vegetables and low-fat and nonfat dairy products as well as whole grains, lean poultry, nuts and beans. The pattern is recommended by the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the key sponsor of the INTERMAP study.

"The DASH eating pattern resembles the Mediterranean eating style for the 21st century, including reduced salt intake," Stamler noted. "Multiple modifications supply multiple nutrients helpful for the prevention and control of high blood pressure, including glutamic acid.

Although the current study examined just one element in the dietary mix, amino acids, Stamler said there's no one "magic bullet."

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Well-planned vegetarian diets are healthful

DA releases updated position paper on vegetarian diets

The American Dietetic Association has released an updated position paper on vegetarian diets that concludes such diets, if well-planned, are healthful and nutritious for adults, infants, children and adolescents and can help prevent and treat chronic diseases including heart disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes.

ADA's position, published in the July issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, represents the Association's official stance on vegetarian diets:

"It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life-cycle including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence and for athletes."

ADA's position and accompanying paper were written by Winston Craig, PhD, MPH, RD, professor and chair of the department of nutrition and wellness at Andrews University; and Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, nutrition advisor at the Vegetarian Resource Group, Baltimore, Md.

The revised position paper incorporates new topics and additional information on key nutrients for vegetarians, vegetarian diets in the life cycle and the use of vegetarian diets in prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. "Vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle," according to ADA's position. "There are many reasons for the rising interest in vegetarian diets. The number of vegetarians in the United States is expected to increase over the next decade."

Vegetarian diets are often associated with health advantages including lower blood cholesterol levels, lower risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure levels and lower risk of hypertension and type 2 diabetes, according to ADA's position. "Vegetarians tend to have a lower body mass index and lower overall cancer rates. Vegetarian diets tend to be lower in saturated fat and cholesterol and have higher levels of dietary fiber, magnesium and potassium, vitamins C and E, folate, carotenoids, flavonoids and other phytochemicals. These nutritional differences may explain some of the health advantages of those following a varied, balanced vegetarian diet."

The position paper draws on results from ADA's evidence analysis process and information from the ADA Evidence Analysis Library to show vegetarian diets can be nutritionally adequate in pregnancy and result in positive maternal and infant health outcomes. Additionally, an evidence-based review showed a vegetarian diet is associated with a lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease.

A section in ADA's paper on vegetarian diets and cancer has been significantly expanded to provide details on cancer-protective factors in vegetarian diets. An expanded section on osteoporosis includes roles of fruits, vegetables, soy products, protein, calcium, vitamins D and K and potassium in bone health. "Registered dietitians can provide information about key nutrients, modify vegetarian diets to meet the needs of those with dietary restrictions due to disease or allergies and supply guidelines to meet needs of clients in different areas of the life cycle," the authors said.

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Diets high in protein& cholesterol = liver cancer risk

Study Examines Dietary Influences Of Liver Disease
Diets high in protein and cholesterol are associated with a higher risk of hospitalization or death due to cirrhosis or liver cancer, while diets high in carbohydrates are associated with a lower risk. These findings are in the July issue of Hepatology, a journal published by John Wiley & Sons on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). The article is also available online at Wiley Interscience (www.interscience.wiley.com).


There are many reasons to suspect that dietary factors influence the development of hepatic steatosis and its progression to more severe liver disease. First, poor diet may lead to obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes, which are the most important known risk factors for hepatic steatosis. Also, dietary lipids may directly affect fat in the liver. Furthermore, a high cholesterol diet has been shown to induce serious steatosis in animal studies.


Researchers, led by George Ioannou of Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle, investigated whether dietary nutrient composition was associated with the subsequent development of cirrhosis or liver cancer in a representative sample of the U.S. population. They utilized data from 9,221 participants in the National Health Examination Survey who had completed a 24-hour dietary recall questionnaire. Participants were excluded if they suffered from cirrhosis or liver cancer at the start of the study, or received a diagnosis within five years.


During the follow-up period, an average of 13.3 years, 123 participants received a new diagnosis of cirrhosis (118 people) or liver cancer (5 people) according to hospitalization records and death certificates. These individuals were more likely to be older, more obese with more central fat distribution. They had lower educational attainment and higher alcohol consumption, and were more likely to be male, diabetic and non-white.


Dietary nutrient composition was a strong predictor of hospitalization or death due to cirrhosis or liver cancer in the U.S. population. “In particular, we identified that protein and cholesterol consumption were associated with elevated risk, whereas consumption of carbohydrates was associated with reduced risk of hospitalization or death related to cirrhosis or liver cancer,” the authors report.


The association with cholesterol intake is potentially the most important finding of this study, the authors suggest. While cholesterol is well-known for its role in non-hepatic diseases like atherosclerosis, it has never before been linked to human liver disease. The findings suggest that drugs blocking intestinal cholesterol absorption might reduce the progression of fatty liver disease but this needs to be investigated in prospective studies.


“Subgroup analyses showed that the significant associations of protein, carbohydrate and cholesterol intake with cirrhosis or liver cancer that we described in the entire study population, were limited to overweight or obese persons,” the authors report. “No such associations were observed in normal-weight persons.” This suggests that the relevant dietary factors are more likely to have hepatic effects through obesity-related fatty liver disease.


“Our study raises the possibility that dietary factors may be important, modifiable, and hitherto unrecognized determinants of liver disease progression,” the authors conclude.

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