Resveratrol – Is It Worth the Wine?

This isn’t just your neighbor the wino saying this; scientists have said similar things as well. 

Resveratrol is one of the newer anti-oxidants to take center stage in health debates. Resveratrol is a component of grape skins, and is abundant in red wine. Resveratrol has been found in animal studies to fight against inflammation, diabetes, obesity and heart disease. If people needed another reason to raise their glass, this might be it. Indeed, it seems we all should be toasting to our health. 

But is that such a good idea? It is true, the more science looks at good, wholesome foods, the more they appear to be like medicine. Every day, another study comes out touting the benefits of blueberries, or the omega 3 in salmon, or the sulforophane in broccoli. Conversly, trans-fats, preservatives and empty carbohydrates are all things that science is beginning to tell us to avoid. Don’t tell them, but Doug and others beat them to all that a long time ago!

Anyone familiar with Doug’s books or TV show knows that wine contains a few things most people should never consume. Wine is fermented with yeast, which is a fungus. The alcohol in the wine is a byproduct of that yeast, otherwise known as a mycotoxin. Doug’s work has centered around the role of mycotoxins in disease. Each of his books is wrought with scientific references plus first hand experience in how virulent these toxins can be. 

In a few of his books, Doug discusses the role fungi play in inflammation, diabetes, obesity and even heart disease. It is well documented that fungi and their mycotoxins can play a role in these four things. However, these are four of the things that resveratrol is supposed to prevent. So mixed in with your cure, in this instance, is also your cause. 

This isn’t a new thing; there are a number of products that tout their health benefits that you should maybe think twice about using. Nutritional yeast and Kombucha tea come to mind, since both products use yeast directly. Even the big, mainstream food companies have a finger on the nutritional pulse; it is commonplace to see grain-laden, sugary cereals fortified with this or that nutrient or claiming to be heart-healthy. I have a hard time imagining that fortification makes them any healthier. 

I have no doubts about resveratrol’s efficacy in promoting good health, and I’m anxious to see where the studies lead. Many companies have already begun marketing resveratrol as a supplement and including it in vitamin formulas. I can’t think of a better way to get this newly found nutrient right now, and until a food is discovered to be loaded with reveratrol and happens to be fungi/mycotoxin free, my opinion will have to remain that way. Will drinking a glass of wine once in a while kill you? Probably not. But you shouldn’t sip it imagining you are doing your body a favor, and you should probably toast to something other than health.