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Red wine and its protective effects on the heart


Since there has been interest shown on wanting to know the efects of red wine on the heart l'll try to explain what's this all about. Let it be forewarned however, that it's a long "lecture" (technical terms are unavoidable) and after reaching the end of it you either understand it, get lost along the way, or becomes tipsy and walk unsteadily. You are advised that you are reading this at your own risk and you should stop immediately anytime you feel dizzy or tipsy.

When one talks about protection on the heart we are referring to trying to decrease the likelihood of coronary events or coronary/myocardial infartc or heart attack in layman's terms.

In the most simplest term, a coronary or myocardial infarct (MI) results from a blocked artery supplying blood and oxygen to the heart muscles. Blockage of the coronary arteries is due to the formation of plugs (aggregation of platelets or blood clots). The causes of plug formation arise from damage to the inner lining of the wall of the artery (as in arteriosclerosis) which is accelerated by high blood pressure and increased “bad cholesterol” (LDL). Arteriosclerosis is basically irreversible fat deposition in the inner lining of artery causing narrowing of the blood vessel. High level of “good cholesterol” HDL confers protection on the blood vessels. HDL and LDL belong to a group of fats also known as lipids.

At present there are numerous epidemiological studies reporting the protective effects of moderate alcohol and wine intake. Effects on lipids and plug formation of different alcoholic beverages have been suggested to play a role. A large database has been provided by the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study in 50 000 male individuals. The relative risk of developing symptomatic coronary heart disease was reduced by one-quarter following wine alcohol intake of 5–30 g/day . These observations are from longitudinal studies whereby a fixed population is followed up for a certain number of years and observed for incidence of coronary events among this population. Others are from epidemiological studies. So there seems to be no controlled studies (how to stop people from drinking wine ah ?) but more data may become available over the years. The mechanisms involved in protection of the heart are numerous. How does alcohol consumption protects the heart ?

A number of mechanisms have been postulated and studied.

1. Effect of wine on blood lipids
Regular alcohol intake increases the blood HDL-fraction. Daily intake of 10–20 g alcohol increases HDL levels by 12% after 4–5 weeks . However, excessive alcohol consumption elevates blood triglycerides (another form of lipids), thereby potentially increasing the risks of MI.

2. Effect on platelet aggregation
Animal studies have provided evidence that the phenolic red wine ingredients trans-resveratrol and quercetin directly inhibit platelet aggregation . In addition, juice from grapes, but not from oranges or grapefruits, can inhibit platelet aggregation. These effects correlate with the concentration of polyphenols in the juices.

3. Effect on inner wall lining of artery
Oxidised LDL has a damaging effect on the wall of arteries enhanced following g a meal enriched by dairy fats. However, when the meal was taken with red Bordeaux wine, there was a significant increase of plasma anti-oxidative capacity. It was speculated that the concomitant intake of red wine reduces oxidation of LDL, which is well recognized to be crucial in the development of atherosclerosis. Finally, the effects of red wine phenolics are more effective than the effect of alpha-tocopherol.

4. Direct effects on blood vessel
Nitric oxide (NO) derived from the wall of artery is an important regulator of elasticity of the blood vessel. Loss of this elasticity (from high blood pressure) is seen in an early stage of arteriosclerosis. Experimental studies show that wine harvested ‘en barrique’ increases the release of NO in coronary vessels. Such effects were not produced by light white or red wines, suggesting that compounds from the oak barrels or phenolic compounds of red wine induce NO-releasing effects. Consistent with these observations, the application of red wine, but not of vodka, produced an increase of coronary blood flow in patients undergoing coronary arteriography. Increased forearm blood flow has been observed following application of red wine, whereas pure alcohol had no effect. Finally, red wine extracts have been reported to increase the activity of promoters of NO release in the walls of artery.

5. Anti-arteriosclerosis properties
The development of arteriosclerosis is promoted by chemicals (PDGF) by stimulating growth and migration of smooth muscle cells in the inner wall lining of artery. ‘En barrique’ harvested wines, like Barolo or Chateauneuf du Pape, were able to inhibit this.

‘The French Paradox’

Coronary deaths are closely correlated with the intake of dairy fat. Death rate from coronary artery disease (CAD) in France (and Switzerland) is only 50% compared with other European countries and the U.S. despite similar intakes of animal fats (a phenomenon termed "French paradox"). The higher wine intake of the French population is believed to account for the lower mortality rate from CAD in France compared with other European countries and the U.S.
Another explanation relates probably to specific procedures performed during wine production. Wine analysis revealed that red wine contains significantly more polyphenols/flavonoids and their bebeficial effects outlined in (2), (3) and (4) above .The long contact time of the originating wine with grape skins and seeds during the mash fermentation leads to an accumulation of flavonoids in red but not white wine. These flavonoids disrupts the processes leading to arteriosclerosis.

Well, it appears that red wine does have a protective effect on your heart. But, hey wait.. do not rush to the pub as yet. An advice you must heed. Too much of wine (don't ask me how many pecks is too much, I'm not a wine drinker) can damage your heart, nerves, liver, brain cells and sexual prowess (you will be reduced to a tikus instead of harimau). So drink in moderation.