Intervention studies on Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular risk

The traditional Mediterranean diet, as studied in the 1950s to 1960s in the South of Europe, is characterized by moderate energy intake, low animal fat, high olive oil, high cereals, high legumes, nuts and vegetables, and regular and moderate wine. A Mediterranean-type diet is being developed to mimic the traditional one and fit with present life style. While numerous epidemiological studies have supported the concept that adherence to the traditional Mediterranean diet is beneficial for health and particularly protects against cardiovascular disease, the limited number of intervention studies in this field have not yet provided major support. Nevertheless, the dietary interventions performed until now have demonstrated that adoption of a Mediterranean-type diet reduces several cardiovascular risk factors in subjects at risk (primary prevention) and/or cardiovascular events or mortality in patients after a first cardiac event (secondary prevention). Among numerous foodstuffs characterizing the Mediterranean diet, virgin olive oil has been shown to display beneficial effects on a wide range of risk factors.     

Singlet Oxygen Detection Using Red Wine Extracts as Photosensitizers

Moderate consumption of red wine provides beneficial effects to health. This is attributed to polyphenol compounds present in wine such as resveratrol, quercetin, gallic acid, rutin, and vanillic acid. The amount of these antioxidants is variable; nevertheless, the main beneficial effects of red wine are attributed to resveratrol. However, it has been found that resveratrol and quercetin are able to photosensitize singlet oxygen generation and conversely, gallic acid acts as quencher. Therefore, and since resveratrol and quercetin are some of the most important antioxidants reported in red wines, the aim of this research was to evaluate the photosensitizing ability of 12 red wine extracts through photo‐oxidation of ergosterol. The presence of ¹O₂ was detected by ergosterol conversion into peroxide of ergosterol through ¹H NMR analysis. Our results showed that 10 wine extracts were able to act as photosensitizers in the generation of singlet oxygen. The presence of ¹O₂ can damage other compounds of red wine and cause possible organoleptic alterations. Finally, although the reaction conditions employed in this research do not resemble the inherent conditions in wine making processing or storing, or even during its consumption, this knowledge could be useful to prevent possible pro‐oxidant effects and avoid detrimental effects in red wines.     

Alcohol Intake and Cardiovascular Disease Risk: Cheers,Tears, or Both?

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are among the leading causes of shorter life expectancy and loss of quality of life worldwide. Thus, any influence of diet or life habits on the cardiovascular system may have important implications for public health. Epidemiological studies have shown that moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Moreover, high alcohol intake implies an increased risk for numerous health outcomes. To fully understand the relation between light-to-moderate drinking and CVD, the role of drinking patterns, beverage types, and genetic variations influencing alcohol metabolism should be further examined. The aim of this review article is to present current knowledge with respect to the effect of alcohol intake on CVD risk.     

Should Red Wine Be Considered a Functional Food?

Abstract: Functional foods may be regarded as foods that have nutritional value, but in particular, they also have beneficial effects on one or more body functions. Thus, functional foods may improve health and/or reduce the risk of developing certain diseases when taken in amounts that can be consumed in a normal diet. Based on nearly 2 decades of research since the term “French paradox” was first coined in 1992, wine would appear to fit this definition. Yet there seems to be reluctance to consider wine as a functional food. In this review, we present an overview of the accumulated evidence for the health benefits of wine—and its key phenolic components such as resveratrol, quercetin, catechin—and show that these alone are not enough to firmly establish wine as a functional food. What is required is to create clearly defined products based on wine that are targeted to consumers’ needs and expectations when it comes to purchasing functional foods. Moreover, the crucial question of alcohol and health also needs to be addressed by the functional food industry. Suggestions are presented for working through this issue, but in many regards, wine is like any other food—it should be consumed sensibly and in amounts that are beneficial to health. Overindulgence of any kind does not promote good health.     

Bioactive compounds in wine: Resveratrol,hydroxytyrosol and melatonin: A review

Regular moderate wine consumption is often associated with reduced morbidity and mortality from a variety of chronic diseases in which inflammation is the root cause. This review is focused on three of the numerous bioactive compounds present in wine: resveratrol, hydroxytyrosol and melatonin. Resveratrol and hydroxytyrosol are polyphenols. Melatonin, recently described in wine, is an indoleamine. Their structures, concentrations in wine, bioavailability, pharmacokinetic and health promoting properties are reviewed. Resveratrol seems to be one of the most promising compounds due to its bioactivity, with wine being the main source of resveratrol in diet. Hydroxytyrosol, which its main source in diet is olive oil has been also found in both red and white wine in considerable amounts. Melatonin has been found in wine in low amounts. However, both high bioactivity and bioavailability have been attributed to it. They show antioxidant, cardioprotective, anticancer, antidiabetic, neuroprotective and antiaging activities. However, human studies are still in the initial stages and therefore further studies are needed.     

Resveratrol,human health and winemaking perspectives

Resveratrol, (3, 5, 4′-trihydroxystilbene) is a non-flavonoid polyphenol stilbene synthesized by plants when damaged by infectious diseases or ionizing radiation. Although present in more than seventy plant species, grapes and wine are the major dietary contributors of resveratrol, responsible for 98% of the daily intake. In 1992, Renaud and De Lorgeril first linked wine polyphenols, including resveratrol, to the potential health benefits ascribed to regular and moderate wine consumption (the so called “French Paradox”). Since then, resveratrol has received increasing scientific interest, leading to research on its biological actions, and to a large number of published papers, which have been collected and discussed in this review. The relatively low amounts of resveratrol measured in wine following moderate consumption, however, may be insufficient to mitigate biological damage, such as that due to oxidative stress. On this basis, the authors also highlight the importance of viticulture and the winemaking process to enhance resveratrol concentrations in wine in order to bolster potential health benefits.     

Cheers,proost, saúde: Cultural,contextual and psychological factors of wine and beer consumption in Portugal and in the Netherlands

Wine and beer consumption are an integral part of European culture: Southern Europe is associated with wine and Northern Europe is associated with beer. When consumed in moderation, these alcoholic beverages can be part of a balanced and healthy diet. In the 1990s, non-alcoholic beer (NAB), which has no cultural roots, became available in the market. This review identifies determinants for consumption of wine, beer, and NAB, using data on consumption patterns from Portugal and the Netherlands. Since the 1960s the image of Portugal as a wine country declined, whereas the image of the Netherlands as a beer country remained stable. In each country beer is now the most consumed alcoholic beverage and is mainly a men's beverage, whereas wine is the second most consumed and is consumed by both genders. Cultural differences define Portuguese as “outdoors, everyday drinkers”, within a meal context, and Dutch as “at home, weekend drinkers.” Wine is perceived as the healthiest beverage, followed by NAB, and regular beer. Motivation for consumption is related to context: wine for special occasions, beer for informal occasions, and NAB for occasions when alcohol is not convenient. Moderate wine and beer consumption seems to be surrounded by positive emotions.

This review is relevant for public health, for industry market strategies, and identifies opportunities of future research on drinking behaviour.     

葡萄酒与健康

葡萄酒作为一种自然和文化的产物,随着人民生活水平的提高,正逐渐引起中国大众的广泛关注。然而饮用葡萄酒是否有利于健康一直是一个存在争议的问题,一方面葡萄酒中的酚类物质具有多种生理活性,赋予了葡萄酒一定的保健功效;另一方面酒精作为葡萄酒中的主要成分被证实对健康有不利影响。为了探讨葡萄酒的利与弊,该文首先介绍了葡萄酒的主要成分,然后分别从酚类物质和酒精两方面,详细客观地阐述了它们与健康的关系,最后对葡萄酒的饮用提供了相关建议,以期为消费者更加理性地认识葡萄酒、合理地饮用葡萄酒提供帮助。     

Health effects of olive oil polyphenols: Recent advances and possibilities for the use of health claims

The Mediterranean diet and consumption of olive oil have been connected in several studies with longevity and a reduced risk of morbidity and mortality. Lifestyle, such as regular physical activity, a healthy diet, and the existing social cohesion in Southern European countries have been recognised as candidate protective factors that may explain the Mediterranean Paradox. Along with some other characteristics of the Mediterranean diet, the use of olive oil as the main source of fat is common in Southern European countries. The benefits of consuming olive oil have been known since antiquity and were traditionally attributed to its high content in oleic acid. However, it is now well established that these effects must also be attributed to the phenolic fraction of olive oil with its anti‐oxidant, anti‐inflammatory and anti‐microbial activities. The mechanisms of these activities are varied and probably interconnected. For some activities of olive oil phenolic compounds, the evidence is already strong enough to enable the legal use of health claims on foods. This review discusses the health effects of olive oil phenols along with the possibilities of communicating these effects on food labels.     

玫瑰香葡萄酒精发酵过程中白藜芦醇含量的变化研究

采用高效液相色谱法测定天津茶淀玫瑰香葡萄酒精发酵过程中白藜芦醇含量变化,并结合感官评价手段,确定最优的玫瑰香葡萄酒酒精发酵时间.结果表明,在天津茶淀玫瑰香酒精发酵过程中,随着时间的变化,原酒中白藜芦醇含量出现先升高再降低最后趋于稳定的趋势,酒精发酵96h时的原酒白藜芦醇含量最高,感官评价的得分为最高分85,酒精度达到10%vol以上.     

Definition of the Mediterranean diet based on bioactive compounds

Antioxidant (polyphenols and carotenoids) and nonantioxidant (phytosterols) bioactive compounds and dietary fiber may have a significant role in health. The intake of these compounds is strongly linked with the high consumption of fruits, vegetables, and unrefined cereals. A whole-diet approach to these food constituents is intended to render the current definition of Mediterranean diet based on food consumption more comprehensive. The Mediterranean dietary pattern can be characterized by the following four essential dietary indicators: 1) Monounsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratio (range: 1.6 to 2.0); 2) Intake of dietary fiber (41 to 62 g/person/day); 3) Antioxidant capacity of the whole diet (3500 to 5300 trolox equivalent/person/day); 4) Phytosterols intake (370 to 555 mg/person/day). The contribution of foods and beverages to these parameters is described. Spanish National Food Consumption Data for the years 2000 and 1964 were used to quantify the lowest and highest range values. The occurrence of these indicators in the Mediterranean diet has specific characteristics and there is sufficient scientific evidence to support the beneficial health effects.     

Dietary polyphenols and the prevention of diseases

Polyphenols are the most abundant antioxidants in the diet and are widespread constituents of fruits, vegetables, cereals, dry legumes, chocolate, and beverages, such as tea, coffee, or wine. Experimental studies on animals or cultured human cell lines support a role of polyphenols in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, or osteoporosis. However, it is very difficult to predict from these results the effects of polyphenol intake on disease prevention in humans. One of the reasons is that these studies have often been conducted at doses or concentrations far beyond those documented in humans. The few clinical studies on biomarkers of oxidative stress, cardiovascular disease risk factors, and tumor or bone resorption biomarkers have often led to contradictory results. Epidemiological studies have repeatedly shown an inverse association between the risk of myocardial infarction and the consumption of tea and wine or the intake level of some particular flavonoids, but no clear associations have been found between cancer risk and polyphenol consumption. More human studies are needed to provide clear evidence of their health protective effects and to better evaluate the risks possibly resulting from too high a polyphenol consumption.     

葡萄酒中的多酚类物质及其保健功能

流行病学研究表明 ,适量的饮用葡萄酒有益于身体健康。进一步的研究表明 ,葡萄酒中含有较高水平的多酚类物质 ,如白藜芦醇 ,槲皮酮和儿茶酚等 ,这些物质是强抗氧化剂 ,具有抑制冠心病、动脉粥样硬化、消除自由基、抗癌和抗炎症等作用。文中介绍了葡萄酒中的多酚类物质 ,以及它们的生物活性和作用机理。     

Development and validation of a tool to recall alcoholic beverage and wine consumption over consumers’ lifetimes

Different past experiences are likely to influence current preferences and consumption through learning processes, such as evaluative conditioning, leading to different flavour preference developments. The ability to measure past experience of alcoholic beverage consumption would be useful in order to understand the drivers of current wine consumption. The developed and validated tool provides reliable data for both past alcohol consumption recall and current wine consumption. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and F-tests indicated reliability, specifically, high internal consistency (lifetime drinking history and current wine consumption), internal validity and acceptable limits of agreement (current wine consumption relative to a 7-day diary), especially for the most frequently consumed wine (red), demonstrating that the measures taken were reproducible over time. In contrast to previous lifetime alcohol consumption studies, the present study included measures of type of wine consumed. Results justify and encourage the administration of the developed tool on a larger sample, aiming to seek associations between ‘drinking histories’ in order to understand current wine consumption.     

Olive oil and longevity

Several lines of evidence point to olive oil and the olive oil-centered Mediterranean diet as conducive to longevity. The evidence stems from ecological, as well as analytic epidemiological studies assessing olive oil, monounsaturated lipids or the Mediterranean dietary pattern in relation to the incidence of, or mortality from, major common diseases, or overall mortality. Mechanistic considerations are addressed by biochemical studies, whereas randomized clinical trials provide further support to the evidence generated from observational investigations. The content of olive oil in several microcomponents with antioxidant potential, as well as its high content in monounsaturated lipids appear to be essential for the beneficial effect of this food.     

Current knowledge of the health benefits and disadvantages of wine consumption

This review examines studies reporting effects of various components in red and white wine that may offer potential health benefits or disadvantages. While this article does not advocate consumption of wine for this purpose, it intends to allow the reader to approach a decision of their own based on its content. Naturally occurring substances (e.g., resveratrol, quercetin, and catechin) are discussed and the multiplicity of their action is detailed. These include their pharmacological roles as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and anti-clotting agents [1]. Such mechanistic roles extend to improved clinical outcomes [2] inclusive of reductions in coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, dyslipidemia, and thromboses via inhibited platelet aggregation. Derived from grape skin, many of these ingredients are an excellent source of polyphenols (anthocyanins leucoanthocyanins). Current theory advocates that polyphenols in red wine protect the cardiovascular system and function as antioxidants. They prevent substances from being converted to harmful oxidized chemical states, including low-density lipoprotein (LDL) [3], also known as bad cholesterol. Largely involved in the build-up of arterial plaque, LDL can promulgate coronary heart disease. Reduction of LDL, and elevation of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) [4], are factors thought to contribute to a reduced risk of coronary heart disease. Other agents known as anthocyanins aid in restricting the formation of nitrosamines and other nitroso compounds found in foods. Therefore, such agents protect cells from the ill effects of nitrosamines and add to the nitroso-lowering effect of ascorbic acid. Other studies involving red wine examine correlations between consumption and reduction in the formation of breast cancer and ischemic heart disease at moderate and high consumption 5, 6. Others assess overall improvement in mortality rates in women; reduction of type II diabetes [7]; effectiveness as an anti-bacterial agent; and the claimed superiority of wine over alternative beverages containing an equivalent amount of alcohol 8, 9. Also, numerous studies expanding on the above points and concerns about additives, contaminants, pesticides, and carcinogens contained in wine are discussed below.     

Wine--an important source of lead exposure

Blood lead levels in 32 male chronic alcoholic patients were measured and related to drinking habits. An external reference group and a group with previous high alcohol consumption served as controls. Blood lead concentrations were significantly higher (P less than 0.05) in the group with current high alcohol consumption (mean +/- S.D.) (90 +/- 48 micrograms/l, n = 17) than in the external reference group (57 +/- 27 micrograms Pb/l, n = 35). The blood lead concentrations in the latter group were similar to those in the group with previous high alcohol consumption (55 +/- 20 micrograms Pb/l, n = 15). Patients with excessive consumption of wine only (average intake 2.61 wine/day, range 1.3-4.5 l/day) had particularly elevated blood lead concentrations (149 +/- 31 micrograms Pb/l, n = 5), whereas blood lead levels were close to the control value in patients with excessive consumption of spirits only (68 +/- 28 micrograms Pb/l, n = 7). Furthermore, within the external reference group blood lead levels were higher in those who regularly drank more than 0.51 of wine on several occasions each week (96 +/- 22 micrograms Pb/l, n = 6) than in those who consumed less wine (48 +/- 20 micrograms Pb/l, n = 29). In a recent study of table wines sold in Sweden the average lead concentration in 84 samples was found to be 73 micrograms/l.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Effects of fining agents on trans-resveratrol concentration in wine

Resveratrol has been identified as a wine component related to moderate wine consumption and a reduction in serum cholesterol levels. Processes such as wine fining that result in loss of resveratrol during winemaking are therefore of interest, and led to these present studies. A number of agents were compared and were found to lower resveratrol levels in all wines to some extent. Results from two studies (1996 and 1997) are reported. The standard addition method was used in combination with High Pressure Liquid Chromatography to calculate resveratrol levels. In Study 1 (1996), recommended maximum levels of all fining agents (Level 3), bentonite, egg white, gelatin + kieselsol and polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP), lowered resveratrol levels significantly compared to controls (Level 0). Nevertheless, addition of fining agents at Level 0 resulted in resveratrol levels that were significantly higher than those at Level 3, but resveratrol levels in wine from Level 0 were not significantly different from Level 1. In Study 2 (1997), carbon + egg white, and gelatin + kieselsol fining was studied, and their effects differed according to grape variety. Least removal of resveratrol by carbon fining occurred in wine from Cabernet Sauvignon (Vitis vinifera) whereas most removal occurred in wines from Cynthiana (Vitis aestivalis) and Noble (Vitis rotundifolia). Resveratrol levels of control wine were significantly higher than resveratrol levels of wine treated with recommended maximum addition of fining agent in all varieties. Taken overall, any addition of any fining agent lowered resveratrol levels in all wines to some extent, but complex interactions between fining agent and wine variety resulted in different regression trends. While recognising the constraints set by our particular data that could reflect unique circumstances, we are nevertheless able to infer from these trends that low levels of fining agents can be used without statistically significant loss of resveratrol.     

Resveratrol as a Health and Disease Benefit Agent

A variety of foods and beverages of plant origin contain several non-flavonoid species of phenolic compounds synthesised by plants in response to injury, fungal attack, UV irradiation, chemicals, and climatic conditions and some other reasons specific for plant kind. Amongst them, resveratrol has been identified as one of the major active compounds of stilbenes, and it is presumed to be beneficial for human health. Resveratrol is a phytoalexin found in grapes, grape products, wine, peanuts, cranberries, strawberry, and some other botanical sources. Resveratrol has wide ranging biological activities and consequently many different targets and mechanisms of action. Positive effects of resveratrol on health include the prevention of cell oxidation through resveratrol antioxidant properties, ability to stop pain, stop the growth of bacteria that causes stomach ulcers that can lead to cancer (Helicobacter pylori), protect immune cells, protect DNA, protect against skin cancer, as well as being cardioprotective, antitumor, estrogenic, antiplatelet, and anti-inflammatory actions. Recently resveratrol became the first supplement known to activate a longevity gene. In this review, information about synthesis, biochemistry, sources and potential beneficial effects on health and disease is summarized.