Unravelling the 'French Paradox'

French people include in their diets as much animal fat as people in many other countries, they do not smoke less and their level of blood cholesterol is not lower. Despite this, the prevalence of, and mortality from heart disease in France is very low: a phenomenon known as the "French Paradox". The key factor, suggest scientists and nutritionists, may be in consumption of red wine.

An EU funded project in Italy looked into polyphenolic compounds, believed to be the beneficial substances found in red wine, and cardiovascular disease.

Polyphenols are not only found in wine, but also in tea, chocolate, fruits and vegetables, especially onions. It has been proposed that these polyphenols might protect the walls of arteries against developing atherosclerosis. The EU project in Italy set out to study the efficiency of polyphenols in alcoholic drinks in laboratory conditions and also in human volunteers.

Regular drinkers of red wine were compared with regular drinkers of spirits. The study showed that the intake of red wine was able to reduce biological risk factors, such as blood lipids, involved in the development of atherosclerosis. This may explain in part, suggest the researchers, the French Paradox. Identifying these 'healthy' compounds, they maintain, will help evaluate the role of red wine in the reduced incidence of heart disease in some European countries.

Experts recommend only a moderate consumption of wine from one to two glasses per day. Over this amount, the detrimental effects of cirrhosis are greater than any positive effects of compounds in red wine, the Italian scientists write.

Further information about the project (FAIR-97-3261 (WCVD)) can be obtained from project leader Dr Giovanni de Gaetano (qrtnrgnab@pbgve.vg​), Centro di Ricerche e Formazione ad Alta Tecnologianelle Scienze Biomediche, Universita Cattolica, Lanciano.