For years, popular media has told us all about the benefits of red wine.
And it's one hell of a headline - everyone wants to be told that what they think is unhealthy may actually be HEALTHY for them!
A lot of us are guilty of wanting to believe only certain things when it's convenient, and the "red wine is good for you" has surely sucked a lot of people in over the years!
But how true is it?
Red Wine For Health? The Resveratrol Story.
We've always been told the natural phenol resveratrol is the key to good health.
Now whilst this is true, the research that spawned this thought wasn't done into human beings. Also, it's all about the dose and other factors as I point out quite often here on Fit'n'Flexed.com.
To cut to the chase, a recent study (1) had the authors stating:
"...it is not possible to absorb the recommended therapeutic doses of resveratrol by drinking wine."
Pretty simple - there's not enough resveratrol in the red wine we drink. The authors also reported:
"The published evidence is not sufficiently strong to justify a recommendation for the administration of resveratrol to humans."
The French Paradox - Is It Real?
The French paradox is the idea that the French, who consume a lot of satured fats and drink lots of red wine, still have low rates of heart disease. But let's take a look at this - firstly, saturated fats aren't as bad for our hearts as we once thought.
Secondly, as the authors in the study point out, the average consumption of wine in France works out to be an amount of resveratrol that's 5000 times lower than the proposed therapeutic dose.
In reality, one would need to drink hundreds of litres a day for the benefits - which would obviously wreak all sorts of havoc!
It's all about the dose!
So upon a closer look - the French aren't being saved by the wine, and the saturated fats aren't as bad for the heart as we first thought. That's most likely what's going on here.
Resveratrol in Food
We also find resveratrol in apples, raspberries, blueberries, plums and peanuts.
But due to the poor bioavailability of resveratrol, we can't really expect wonders from eating these items, either.
The authors point out that the notion of resveratrol being a "magic bullet" has been challenged big time.
Whilst health is quite a broad definition, we won't take any huge steps to achieving it by indulging in a few glasses of red wine...
I really hate to be the bearer of bad news!
Share this with someone who needs to hear the truth!
"Stay Fit, Stay Flexed!"
This being said, you can still enjoy red wine and lose weight!
I know you're busy, so I won't keep you for long...
My readers regularly message me as losing weight can be extremely difficult.
Even worse is when stopping an extreme diet brings all the weight back!
I have a solution that'll allow you to continue eating the foods you love (in moderation, of course!) but without an extremity such as paleo, no sugar or no carb.
That's me (Dayne Hudson) above. The photo on the left is me at the end of a bulk, and the photo on the right is after dropping off the weight...in just 12 weeks!
I don't believe in short term diets either! I believe in creating a healthy lifestyle, eating the foods you love, and not needing to worry about your diet around the clock!
As a Sports Nutrition Specialist, scientific researcher and valued member of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, I use proven studies to generate results that last for you.
Reference
(1) Weiskirchen S, Weiskirchen R. Resveratrol: How Much Wine Do You Have to Drink to Stay Healthy? Adv Nutr. 2016 Jul 15;7(4):706-18. doi: 10.3945/an.115.011627. Print 2016 Jul.
Author
Dayne Hudson