A small glass of wine to maintain a good memory?
Resveratrol is found naturally in red grapes, it has antioxidant properties which gives the wine the qualities that are beneficial to our health. Earlier studies with resveratrol on mice seemed to indicate that it can block certain ageing mechanisms and prevent common ailments associate with age such as diabetes, heart diseases and specific forms of cancers. It has already been thought that regular consumption of wine could prevent the development of Alzheimer's disease. But no study has yet verified the impact of this polyphenol in humans.
By stimulating or by inhibiting some genes, resveratrol may prolong the life of nerve cells. It's also known for its anti-inflammatory effects and to be a vasodilator. This means it might be important in the fight against Alzheimer's. However the effective dosage is yet to be determined and may be as high as a daily dose of 1000 mg, roughly equivalent to 1000 bottles of wine.
In order to confirm the effect and safety of Resveratrol , Brigid Reynolds and Scott Turner of Georgetown University have developed a clinical trial. The trial is being conducted on patients with mild to moderate dementia. Over the course of one year, they will closely monitor the patients. The experiment is to deliver large doses of resveratrol per day to half the group and a placebo to the other half.
The primary purpose is to verify whether resveratrol is not harmful in large quantities and if it could be developed into an effective medicine. Millions of people from all over the world suffer from Alzheimer.
Sources:
Medical Daily
Le Figaro (French)
