Red Wine Blocks Cardiovascular Benefits of Exercise in Older Men

A latest study highlights a shocking drawback of the antioxidant 'resveratrol', that is found in grape-based products like the red wine. It states that the natural antioxidant may block the benefits of cardiovascular training in older men.  

Red wine has always received attention for its anti aging effect and several other health benefits. Many studies support the consumption of red wine in moderation as a part of an overall healthy diet. It is believed a glass of red wine a day may keep the doctor away. Despite numerous studies that have lauded the positive effects of resveratrol, the new study says it is not as beneficial as believed.

This surprising result was provided by researchers from the University of Copenhagen.

The study researchers suggest that having a diet that is rich in antioxidants may undo the health benefits of exercising.

This study contradicts the previous studies done on animals, which say that resveratrol enhances the cardiovascular benefits of exercise. This study conducted on humans offered strong and shocking evidence that the same antioxidant resveratrol had an opposite effect in older men.

To prove the hypothesis, a study was conducted on 27 physically inactive men aged 65 and above. They were observed for eight weeks. During the study period the participants were asked to perform high intensity exercises. Half of the 27 men received 250 mg of resveratrol daily and the other group received a placebo pill.

The researchers were surprised to see that the group that took resveratrol supplements did not receive the same benefit from the exercise training compared to the placebo group. The placebo group saw an improvement in blood pressure and the cholesterol levels also dropped. Apart from this, the placebo group reduced harmful fat levels. This led the researchers to conclude that resveratrol blocked the benefits of exercise in older men. In this study, the researchers looked for factors like blood pressure, maximal oxygen uptake and plasma lipid concentration, reports Counsel & Heal.

"We were surprised to find that resveratrol supplementation in aged men blunts the positive effects of exercise training on cardiovascular health parameters, in part because our results contradict findings in animal studies. It should be noted that the quantities of resveratrol given in our research study are much higher than what could be obtained by intake of natural foods,", professor Ylva Hellsten, the leader of the project, concludes.

The study details were published in the Journal of Physiology.