http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v444/n7119/abs/444566a.html
Nature 444, 566 (30 November 2006) | doi:10.1038/444566a; Received 29 August 2006; Accepted 9 November 2006; Published online 29 November 2006
Oenology: Red wine procyanidins and vascular health
R. Corder1, W. Mullen2, N. Q. Khan1, S. C. Marks2, E. G. Wood1, M. J. Carrier1 and A. Crozier1
Regular, moderate consumption of red wine is linked to a reduced risk of coronary heart disease and to lower overall mortality1, but the relative contribution of wine's alcohol and polyphenol components to these effects is unclear2. Here we identify procyanidins as the principal vasoactive polyphenols in red wine and show that they are present at higher concentrations in wines from areas of southwestern France and Sardinia, where traditional production methods ensure that these compounds are efficiently extracted during vinification. These regions also happen to be associated with increased longevity in the population....We used the 1999 census data to identify unusual patterns of ageing in France (see supplementary information) and found that there are relatively more men aged 75 or over in the département of Gers in the Midi-Pyrenees in southwest France.Wines from Nuoro and the Gers area have 2–4-fold more biological activity and OPC content than other wines (Fig. 1c, d). This difference remains (P < 0.001) when OPC measurements are extended to a wider selection of wines from the Gers area (2.9 0.1 mM, n = 58), from France (1.8 0.1 mM, n = 61) and from other parts of the world (1.5 0.04 mM, n = 227)....
Nature 444, 566 (30 November 2006) | doi:10.1038/444566a; Received 29 August 2006; Accepted 9 November 2006; Published online 29 November 2006
Oenology: Red wine procyanidins and vascular health
R. Corder1, W. Mullen2, N. Q. Khan1, S. C. Marks2, E. G. Wood1, M. J. Carrier1 and A. Crozier1
Regular, moderate consumption of red wine is linked to a reduced risk of coronary heart disease and to lower overall mortality1, but the relative contribution of wine's alcohol and polyphenol components to these effects is unclear2. Here we identify procyanidins as the principal vasoactive polyphenols in red wine and show that they are present at higher concentrations in wines from areas of southwestern France and Sardinia, where traditional production methods ensure that these compounds are efficiently extracted during vinification. These regions also happen to be associated with increased longevity in the population....We used the 1999 census data to identify unusual patterns of ageing in France (see supplementary information) and found that there are relatively more men aged 75 or over in the département of Gers in the Midi-Pyrenees in southwest France.Wines from Nuoro and the Gers area have 2–4-fold more biological activity and OPC content than other wines (Fig. 1c, d). This difference remains (P < 0.001) when OPC measurements are extended to a wider selection of wines from the Gers area (2.9 0.1 mM, n = 58), from France (1.8 0.1 mM, n = 61) and from other parts of the world (1.5 0.04 mM, n = 227)....
