Resveratrol in Red Wine Does Not Boost Longevity and Health

A new study conducted by researchers at the John Hopkins University School of Medicine refutes previous findings that resveratrol - a compound found in red wine and chocolate - boosts longevity.

The study, which was conducted on Italians, showed that adhering to a diet rich in resveratrol such as grapes, red wine, and chocolates does not improve the health of the heart nor does it ensure longevity or reduce the incidence of cardiovascular diseases, cancer and inflammation. In fact, they are just as likely to develop the diseases as those who consume lesser amounts of the anti-oxidant.

Several studies in the past highlighted that intake of a diet rich in resveratrol lowers inflammation in a few and protects the heart. 

"The story of resveratrol turns out to be another case where health benefits of a particular item are hyped but it doesn't stand the test of time," said Richard D. Semba, M.D., M.P.H., professor of ophthalmology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and lead author of the study. "The thinking was that certain food items are good for you because they contain resveratrol. We didn't find that at all."

The study results don't indicate that people should stop eating fruits or dark chocolate. "It's just that the benefits, if they are there, must come from other polyphenols or substances found in those food items," he said in a news release. "These are complex foods, and all we really know from our study is that the benefits are probably not due to resveratrol," added Semba.

The study was done on 783 people aged above 65 years, residents of Tuscany, where the consumption of wine is high. They were not on any diet. Their urine samples of 24 hours were analysed for metabolites of resveratrol. 

The researchers took into consideration certain factors like age and gender. It was noticed that those with highest concentration of resveratrol metabolites didn't have any reduced risk of dying as compared to those with no resveratrol in their urine samples. The urine samples were analyzed using advanced mass spectrometry.

The study is published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.