Diary: Curvie Girlie: A Yo-Yo's Reformation

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Ah yes, wine tasting is a blast! California is getting better and better-our Pinots are improving greatly.

My Favs: Arcadian Winery Pinots--any of them, oh my god, so good!


Tolosa 2004 Pinot Noir--comes in half bottles (375ml) which is perfect for one person.
 
Hey CG, I've got a wedding to attend in October. I'll be in your neck of the woods; mainly San Diego. But I did want to give my friend a nice bottle of wine. Nothing too expensive since I'll be stinging from paying back loans, and airfare to Cali. What would you recommend?? I do know that she likes a sweet tasting wine that has a nice flavor. Other than that, I'm clueless.
 
Two things:

1) You look awesome in your new avatar pic.

2) You have such an awesome job. I love wine. Give me a good heavy red and I'm a happy camper:p How does one come into that occupation?
 
funkyphantom said:
Hey CG, I've got a wedding to attend in October. I'll be in your neck of the woods; mainly San Diego. But I did want to give my friend a nice bottle of wine. Nothing too expensive since I'll be stinging from paying back loans, and airfare to Cali. What would you recommend?? I do know that she likes a sweet tasting wine that has a nice flavor. Other than that, I'm clueless.
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WHOA there! San Diego is a 8-10 hour drive!!!:D

We don't sell too much down there--and what we do is good but nothing spectacular: Amazing Grapes in Rancho Santa Margurita has our Stephen VIncent 2003 Cabernet, which is like less than $15 and not bad at all. San Diego Wine Company in the Eastgate Mall has our Gruet Sparking Brut champagne (also cheap--like $13) and it is very good. My advice: go into Beverages & More in SD (there are 2) and look around at the point of sale (shelf talkers). Point score 90+ are great wines usually, and sometimes you'll find decent priced ones. Wine snobs scoff at ratings from Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Connoisseur's guide, Dan Berger, etc., but these people know their stuff!
 
Curvie Girlie said:
Ah yes, wine tasting is a blast! California is getting better and better-our Pinots are improving greatly.

My Favs: Arcadian Winery Pinots--any of them, oh my god, so good!


Tolosa 2004 Pinot Noir--comes in half bottles (375ml) which is perfect for one person.
Click to expand...


*making note* :) Thanks Curvie! Hubby (new member--brucev1162) and I love wine...and love to learn about new ones we might enjoy.
 
brunettegoddess said:
Two things:

1) You look awesome in your new avatar pic.

2) You have such an awesome job. I love wine. Give me a good heavy red and I'm a happy camper:p How does one come into that occupation?
Click to expand...

Thanks!

Best heavy red wine: Keenan Winery hands down has some of the best Cabernet Sauvignons and Merlots I've ever tasted--not to mention the winery staff are nice people! They also have two resident dogs: Scooby and Scrappy. They are on the 2003 vintages of their wines--they make a "Mernet" (trademark term by Michael Keenan) which is 50% Merlot and 50% Cab blended and aged together--like, $80 bottle but absolutely orgasmic! I had the pleasure of 1/2 open bottle from the President of our company's samples, and my BF and I almost creamed ourselves! LOL, vulgar me. Occupation: I was lucky, I was a supervisor at a print center and the partners of the company saw me, liked how I worked, and stole me away :D
 
Here you are, drinking free wine all the time. And here I am, promoting health like a sucker. I sincerely want your job.
 
sunnydee said:
Here you are, drinking free wine all the time. And here I am, promoting health like a sucker. I sincerely want your job.
Click to expand...

Wine is GOOD for you? Ever heard of the French Paradox?

Light and Moderate Drinkers Live Longer, According to Research
Pooled research from studies around the world finds drinking in moderation reduces risk of death by any cause

Jacob Gaffney

Posted: Thursday, December 14, 2006 Wine Spectator

A meta-analysis of more than 1 million people across the globe found that moderate drinkers all have one thing in common: They tend to live longer than nondrinkers and, especially, heavier drinkers.

"Our data shows that consumption of little amounts of alcohol leads to a reduction of mortality up to 18 percent," said lead author of the study Augusto Di Castelnuovo, a researcher at Catholic University of Campobasso, Italy. "But after a certain number of glasses things radically change. [He or she] who drinks too much not only loses this advantage, but increases his own risk of death in relation to the amount of alcohol consumed."

The research, published in the December issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, states that the study was conducted because, although moderate alcohol consumption is associated with favorable heart health, the substance's relation to mortality is still "controversial" (possibly more so considering three to four glasses of wine a day for men is considered moderate in Europe, while four glasses is considered heavy drinking in a United States-based study).

The scientists pooled information from 34 studies from around the world--excluding Africa and South America--that examined the lifestyle factor of 1,015,835 subjects, in research that, in some cases, dated back to the early 1980s. During the two and a half decades, a total of 94,533 deaths were recorded and Di Castelnuovo and his team analysed their causes of death, be it natural or unnatural, in relation to their drinking habits.

The team found that when compared to nondrinkers, a low dose of alcohol--the equivalent of half a glass of wine--consumed every day resulted in the greatest protection for both sexes, at an average of 18 percent lower mortality.

After half a glass, the results differ between the sexes. Women who drink the equivalent of one glass of wine a day had a 16 percent lower mortality rate than nondrinkers. Women who drank two and a half glasses, though, broke even with abstainers, and anything more than that and the risk of dying became greater. Women who drank four servings of alcohol per day where 20 percent more likely to die younger, when compared to nondrinkers.

The same effect was observed in men, but at greater proportional quantities of consumption. Half a glass proved to be the most protective, but men had ten percent lower mortality at three servings (instead of two for women). At four drinks they were even with nondrinkers, and had a 20 percent greater risk of mortality with seven drinks a day.

Moderate drinking and longer life, and its different relations to women and men, was "a fact linked to metabolism," said Licia Iacoviello, head of the Genetic and Environmental Epidemiology Laboratory at the university. "We know that women metabolize alcohol in a different way and the blood-alcohol concentration reaches higher levels. Therefore, consuming more than two doses might lead to several harmful effects," she warned, "such as liver diseases or increased risk of certain forms of tumors."

However, the scientists said there are many problems with such wide-reaching estimations, and that the focus should not be on how much one should drink to prolong life, but on the way alcohol is consumed.

"It is the way we drink that makes the difference: little amounts, preferably during meals, this appears to be the right way," said coauthor Giovanni De Gaetano, the director of the research laboratories at the university. "This is another feature of the Mediterranean diet, where alcohol, wine above all, is the ideal partner of a dinner or lunch, but that's all." he said. "The rest of the day must be absolutely alcohol-free."
 
Drinkers Are Better Thinkers, Two Studies Suggest

By Jacob Gaffney
From Wine Spectator magazine, December 15, 2006 issue


Light and moderate drinkers may have clearer heads than nondrinkers, according to two new studies. The research, published in Stroke and Neuroepidemiology, compared cognitive performance of nondrinkers, light drinkers, moderate drinkers and heavy drinkers to see if alcohol consumption had any correlation to brain deterioration.

The Neuroepidemiology study culled data from two larger studies that tested cognitive function of more than 7,000 women ages 65 to 80. Moderate drinkers—those who consumed two to three drinks a day—had the best scores, followed by light drinkers. The average score for nondrinkers was significantly lower; the heaviest drinkers, at six or more drinks a day, scored lowest.

The Stroke study looked at whether alcohol consumption, which may help clear arteries of plaque, could improve cognitive performance by ensuring blood flow to the brain. Researchers gave tests to 2,215 people over 40 who had never had a stroke.

Women who drank moderately (up to two drinks per day) performed 26 percent better on cognitive tests than nondrinkers, light drinkers (less than one drink a week) 9 percent better and heavy drinkers (more than two drinks a day) 28 percent better, though this group was too small to measure effectively. Men did not show the same benefits, but the study didn't rule out a mediating factor, such as hormone levels.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally printed in Wine Spectator magazine, December 15, 2006 issue
 
Drinking Alcohol May Halt Arthritis, Research Finds
Mice given moderate amounts of alcohol were less likely to develop arthritis and to become crippled by it

Jacob Gaffney

Posted: Tuesday, January 16, 2007 Wine Spectator

When arthritis flairs up, grabbing a glass of wine with swollen fingers may be far from one's mind. But it may not be such a bad idea, according to research published in the Jan. 2 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

A team of researchers at Göteborg University in Sweden found that low and steady doses of alcohol slowed the onset of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in laboratory mice. The discovery could prove to be useful in preventing the painful and destructive autoimmune disease in humans.

"Our aim here was to assess whether low but persistent consumption of ethanol in quantities nontoxic to the liver might affect the incidence of human RA," wrote the researchers, from the Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research and the Center for Bone Research. "Our results suggest that ethanol intake delays the onset and halts the progression of destructive arthritis."

The cause of arthritis is unknown, though theories abound, from family history to long-term knuckle cracking. With RA, the body's immune system turns on itself, confuses healthy tissue with foreign invaders and then attacks and inflames parts of the body. The destruction of joints may begin as soon as one year after onset.

The authors explained that since other studies have found a link between moderate drinking and lower rates of heart disease and stroke, they decided to test if alcohol may protect the health of joints and surrounding tissue by suppressing RA's autoimmune response.

The researchers used two groups of mice. The first group was given just water, while the other group was given a solution of 90 percent water and 10 percent ethanol, an amount similar to light to moderate consumption levels in humans. The mice were then given a collagen-type injection to induce arthritic symptoms.

After nine days, 85 percent of the control group showed arthritic symptoms, but only 20 percent of the mice that drank ethanol suffered the same problems.

Ethanol also appeared to reduce the severity of inflammation. By day 25, the arthritic mice in the ethanol group suffered flare-up symptoms only 5 percent of the time. The arthritic mice that drank only water experienced flare-ups 20 percent of the time. By day 35, those in the water-only group with arthritis were crippled, exhibiting symptoms 100 percent of the time. The ethanol group flared up only 40 percent of the time.

Further examination revealed that the mice who consumed ethanol had greater bone mineral density overall; studies on humans have similarly found that drinking wine and beer may contribute to greater bone mass. Also, the spleens of the mice in the ethanol group produced fewer inflammatory proteins that could contribute to the onset of arthritis. The authors did not observe side effects in the ethanol-consuming mice, which even maintained a healthy weight.

The researchers found that acetaldehyde, a metabolite of ethanol, may be responsible for the amelioration of joint inflammation, according to Nick Zagorski, a staff member at the PNAS journal. This shows promise, he said, for a therapy that may one day be alcohol-free and suitable for a wide range of patients. (The researchers noted that alcohol-based therapies are problematic because excessive consumption depresses the immune system and increases the chance of bacterial infections.)

A new approach would provide an alternative to current arthritis treatments, which vary from exercise in mild cases to corticosteroids in more severe instances. Many treatments have side effects; corticosteroids, for one, are believed to be related to higher blood pressure, bone thinning and weight gain. Doctors sometimes prescribe additional medications to combat those side effects.

More research is needed to better understand how moderate drinking helps prevent arthritis, the researchers noted. But they were impressed with how ethanol-consuming mice were better-equipped to deal with inflammation. "Even more importantly," they wrote, "the arthritis remained nondestructive even at late stages of the disease."

The researchers are confident that the benefits would be similar in humans, according to coauthor Andrej Tarkowski, even though some questions have yet to be answered. "It is presently unclear what dose would be the appropriate one," he said. "Maybe, speculatively, 1 to 2 glasses of wine per day, as in the case of cardiovascular diseases."
 
Moderate Drinking Decreases Risk of Heart Attack in Men With Hypertension, Study Finds
Harvard research finds that giving up responsible alcohol consumption may not be necessary for men with high blood pressure

Jacob Gaffney

Posted: Tuesday, January 09, 2007 Wine Spectator

A team of scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) has found that men with hypertension have a 30 percent lower risk of having a heart attack if they drink a glass or two of wine per day.

Previous studies have found that moderate alcohol consumption is linked with lower risk of cardiovascular heart disease in participants without hypertension. In similar studies, scientists examined an otherwise healthy population and then charted the rate of cardiovascular events occurring, be it atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease or heart attacks. In this latest study, however, the participants had already been diagnosed with high blood pressure.

"This was the first study to our knowledge that examined the risk of heart attacks among men with high blood pressure who drank moderately," said lead author Joline Beulens, a visiting scholar at HSPH from Wageningen University in the Netherlands when the study began. The study was published in the Jan. 2 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. "Because excess alcohol intake clearly increases blood pressure, many men with hypertension are counseled not to drink, but our results suggest that may not be necessary if men drink safely and responsibly."

According to the study, 65 million Americans were diagnosed in 1999 with hypertension, or high blood pressure, which is often caused by stress, lack of adequate exercise and a poor diet. Over time, the prolonged strain on the heart and blood vessels may lead to a heart attack or heart failure; sufferers show a two-fold increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Hypertension is also linked with incidents of stroke and, in rarer cases, kidney failure.

The researchers analyzed data from 11,711 hypertensive American men from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, which was launched in 1986 to evaluate men's health and its impact on serious illnesses, such as cancer and heart disease. Every four years, the participants filled out a survey and noted the frequency with which they drank beer, red wine, white wine and liquor. The researchers found that drinking moderately every day, regardless of beverage type, provided the best protection. However, the scientists added that in many previous studies red wine was found to provide greater heart health, especially when red wine is the main choice of alcoholic beverage.

Subjects were classified according to the amount of alcohol they consumed every day. One of the strengths of the study was that the groups of men did not change their alcohol consumption habits with the diagnosis of hypertension. Cases of nonfatal heart attacks, fatal heart disease and stroke were documented from 1986 to 2002. During that time, 653 heart attacks were recorded, with 279 being fatal and 374 non-fatal. In all, 1,145 deaths occurred.

When compared to nondrinkers, men with high blood pressure who were moderate drinkers (roughly 1 to 2.5 glasses of wine per day) were 30 percent less likely to have a heart attack. Drinkers who consumed a little more or a little less than the nondrinkers also showed a 30 percent lower risk. Very-light drinkers--less than half a glass per day--showed a risk similar to nondrinkers.

Heavy drinkers--more than four drinks per day--showed the lowest risk of a heart attack, with a 60 percent lower chance than nondrinkers, but the study's authors warned that this group was very small (and less statistically significant), with 13 heart attacks recorded among the 450 men in this category. In contrast, more than half the men in the study were classified as nondrinkers or very-light drinkers.

"It is important for all individuals with high blood pressure to discuss their alcohol intake with their physicians, as heavy consumption, even occasionally, can raise blood pressure," said co-author and noted alcohol-and-health researcher Kenneth Mukamal, M.D., an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. "However, our results suggest that men with high blood pressure seem to have the same lower risk associated with moderate drinking that other men do."
 
The Provocative Promise of Resveratrol
A new wine-derived miracle drug? Or simply the next great red hype?

Jacob Gaffney

Posted: Thursday, January 25, 2007 Wine Spectator

The Feb. 5, 2007 issue of Fortune magazine makes an intriguing promise. The headline proclaims: "Drink wine and live longer."

It's great publicity for wine. But the story is not really about wine, only one of its natural components.

The Fortune article, by David Stipp, focuses on the possible health benefits of resveratrol, a compound found in grapes, as well as in other foods such as peanuts, blueberries and cranberries. Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, a biotech company based in Cambridge, Mass., is working to create resveratrol-based medicines that could have the same amazing effects on human health that recent studies have found the compound can produce in mice: significantly extending their lifespan while protecting them from many diseases.

Resveratrol, a potent polyphenol found in the skins of grapes, is part of the grapevine's immune system. The compound is mobilized to fight invaders, such as molds and insects. Resveratrol becomes absorbed into red wine during the contact the fermenting juice has with the skins.

David Sinclair, a molecular biologist at Harvard University, has done extensive research on the topic. Sinclair claims resveratrol can extend the life of mice, even when the rodents are dangerously overweight. (Other recent studies have found that resveratrol can boost endurance and limit weight gain in mice, limit damage caused by a stroke, improve cardiovascular health, provide better lung function and reduce the growth of skin melanomas.)

Two years ago, Sinclair joined forces with Christoph Westphal, a biotech entrepreneur, to create Sirtris Pharmaceuticals. According to the Fortune article, venture capitalists have invested $82 million in the firm, which is already clinically testing a resveratrol drug that may help diabetics keep their blood sugar under control. More ambitiously, the company hopes that the drugs can someday cure or prevent many of the diseases linked to aging, such as adult-onset diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases--even cancer.

Unfortunately, however, it remains a mystery whether wine drinkers benefit from resveratrol, regardless of whether the drugs are found to work. In human terms, the amounts of resveratrol that were used to produce the amazing benefits in mice would require drinking hundreds--or even thousands--of glasses of wine per day. Though studies have shown that moderate wine drinkers tend to live longer than nondrinkers, it remains unknown if that's the result of consumed resveratrol having a cumulative effect. In that same study, though, heavy drinkers did not enjoy the same longevity.

Levels of resveratrol vary greatly in different types of red wine. According to Cornell researcher Leroy Creasy, who has examined the micromolar concentration of resveratrol in more than 100 American wines, grapes grown in cooler climates are believed to contain more of the substance than warmer-climate counterparts. That's because the vine will synthesize resveratrol in greater amounts where there is a greater threat, say, from an invading fungus. Creasy found that New York wines, for example, averaged 7.5 micromoles (µM) per liter of resveratrol, while California red wines tend to have about 5µM of resveratrol.

Creasy declared that any wine with a concentration of resveratrol above 10 µM was "extraordinary." A winery in Oregon even puts the resveratrol level on the back labels of its Pinot Noirs, which contain over 20µM per liter. But that's still a microscopic amount compared to the doses that were given to the mice in the headline-grabbing study late last year. The mice were given 23 milligrams of resveratrol per kilogram of body weight (one milligram equals 4.38µM).

"Should you give resveratrol to your mice that are on a high-calorie diet if you want them to live longer? Yes. Will long-term ingestion of these levels of resveratrol be safe in humans? We do not know," said Dr. Curtis Ellison of the Institute on Lifestyle and Health at Boston University School of Medicine. "Will such doses, if safe, lead to longer lifespan of humans on a high-calorie diet? Perhaps. Will such doses have a large effect on mortality in humans not on a high-calorie diet? We do not know. Are we at the Institute starting to take resveratrol pills? Not yet."

Therefore, there's more hope than reality when it comes to the health benefits of resveratrol, especially in the amounts contained in red wine. And some scientists even believe that other components of red wine are primarily responsible for the beverage's positive effects on health.

According to Roger Corder, a professor of experimental therapeutics at Queen Mary University of London and author of The Wine Diet, (which calls for a glass of red wine nightly to live longer), flavonoids in red wine called procyanidins are primarily responsible for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease--a major factor in increased longevity. Procyanidins are antioxidants that lend pigment to grape skin and aroma to wine, and are also found in cranberries and dark chocolate. Procyanidin is believed to help keep heart tissue healthy by regulating the production of a peptide known as endothelin-1, which helps to prevent blood clots and maintain the overall health of veins and arteries. And they were effective at levels found in wine, Corder said.

One day, resveratrol may prove a great boon to human health. Thanks to the publicity, resveratrol supplements are flying off the shelves in health-food stores, though doctors caution there may be risks with the dose and purity level of the pills. But for now, the most pleasurable way to get your daily dose of resveratrol is in a glass or two of red wine.
 
British Scientists Identify Potent Heart-Helping Compound in Red Wine
More tannic styles of wine contain a polyphenol--and no, it's not resveratrol--involved in maintaining healthy blood vessels

Jacob Gaffney

Posted: Friday, January 05, 2007 Wine Spectator

A team of researchers in London and Glasgow has determined which polyphenol in red wine may help keep the heart and blood vessels working well--but it's not the compound that's gotten all the press lately.

Procyanidin, a polyphenol also common in dark chocolate, keeps heart tissue healthy by regulating the production of a peptide known as endothelin-1, according to the new research. Endothelin-1 helps to prevent blood clots and maintain the overall health of veins and arteries but, in excessive amounts, can constrict vascular tissue, leading to diseases such as hypertension and even heart failure.

The research, reported in the Nov. 30, 2006, issue of Nature, was led by Roger Corder, a professor of experimental therapeutics at the Queen Mary University of London and author of The Wine Diet, being released next week by Little Brown. Back in 2001, Corder's team found that red wine helped to slow production of endothelin-1.

For the latest research, "We wanted to know what it is in red wine that helps prevent cardiovascular diseases since drinking it in moderation seems to be a sure way to a longer, healthier life," said Corder.

Many recent studies have focused on the benefits of the red-wine compound resveratrol, which has been found helpful in preventing a number of ailments. Research using mice found resveratrol limited damage caused by a stroke, boosted endurance and kept chubby mice alive longer. But in Corder's study, resveratrol was not found in sufficient quantities to be able to keep human heart tissue healthy.

Corder and his team designed their study so they wouldn't know which compound worked best until the end of the trial. The researchers cultured endothelial cells, then added small amounts of red wine to the petri dishes. The team used chromatography to isolate and measure the biological activity of each polyphenol in red wine.

In hundreds of experiments, using wines from all over the world, procyanidin proved to be the best at regulating production of endothelin-1 to achieve the most favorable levels. Procyanidins suppressed overproduction by 50 percent.

Other compounds, such as resveratrol and quercetin, were found to have an "irrelevant effect," Corder said. "In order to consume enough red wine to get a beneficial amount of resveratrol, you would need concentrations that were 100- to 1,000-fold greater than what is in red wine." That claim is echoed by scientists who have conducted resveratrol studies and found that the concentration of the polyphenol found in wine is insufficient to increase longevity and boost endurance. But the procyanidins were effective at levels found in wines.

Corder also found that procyanidin concentrations varied greatly according to winemaking style and vineyard location. Wines with high levels of tannins--due to prolonged exposure to grape skins and seeds during fermentation--had much higher concentrations of beneficial polyphenols.

More rustic styles of wine were richer in procyanidin than wines popular for international export. Tannat grown in southwestern France had the highest concentration of the wines tested, while several varietals from Sardinia's Nuoro province had the next-highest levels. Wines from the United States, Australia, South Africa and other parts of Europe generally had significantly lower levels of procyanidin.

"It's the style of wine that is important, not the country," Corder said. "There were some wines from Mount Veeder in Napa Valley, produced using old-fashioned methods, that are outstanding [in terms of heart health]," he added. "But these wines are an acquired taste."

Corder also noted that exposure to ultraviolet B rays increases the level of procyanidin in grapes, so the proximity of the vineyards to the sun is a factor as well. For example, according to the study, the average Sardinian wine had comparably low levels of procyanidins, but the wines from Nuoro came from vineyards on high slopes directly facing the sun, providing maximum exposure to UV-B rays.

Despite his findings, Corder cautioned against changing one's drinking habits or taking unregulated dietary supplements in the hope of mimicking the results of lab studies.
 
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State of the Science: Resveratrol
Is it a wine-derived miracle drug or the next great red hype?
By Jacob Gaffney
From Wine Spectator magazine, April 30, 2007 issue Wine Spectator




Ever since 60 Minutes publicized the French Paradox in 1991, Americans have been interested in research regarding moderate wine consumption and its potential health benefits.

Looking for sources of particular benefits, scientists have in recent years isolated various components of red wines. Recently, resveratrol has been touted as the next wine-derived miracle drug.

Resveratrol, a potent polyphenol found in grape skins, is part of a grapevine's immune system. The compound is mobilized to fight invaders such as molds and insects. Resveratrol is absorbed into red wine while fermenting juice is in contact with the skins. (Resveratrol is found in much smaller amounts in white wines.) With older vines, especially those in -areas with harsher climates, long-term exposure to difficult conditions results in greater concentrations of resveratrol. Therefore, resveratrol is vital to keeping vines alive.

David Sinclair, a molecular biologist at Harvard University, has done extensive research which suggests that resveratrol can have similar effects on other organisms. Sinclair claims that resveratrol can extend lifespan in mice, even when the rodents are dangerously overweight. Previously, he showed that resveratrol can also extend the lifespan of fruit flies and earthworms, as well as strains of yeast. Other recent studies have found that resveratrol can boost endurance and limit weight gain in mice, limit damage caused by a stroke, improve cardiovascular health, provide better lung function and reduce the growth of skin melanomas.

The compound is believed to affect an enzyme called Sirtuin 1. That enzyme stimulates mitochondria, the so-called powerhouses of cells. Resveratrol activates cells' mitochondria by optimizing Sirtuin 1 activity.

"What makes resveratrol so healthy is how it works on the cellular level," said -Johan Auwerx, head of research at the Institute of -Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology in Illkirch, France. Auwerx found that resveratrol boosts endurance in mice. "Resveratrol contributes to better functioning of the cell, which leads to better energy handling." In theory, this process leads to better body functioning on multiple levels.

But can resveratrol help people live longer? Sinclair thinks so. Two years ago, he joined forces with Christoph Westphal to create Sirtris Pharmaceuticals. According to a cover story in the Feb. 5, 2007, issue of Fortune magazine, the firm is already clinically testing a resveratrol drug that may help diabetics better control their blood sugar. The company even hopes that the drugs may someday cure and prevent many of the diseases linked to aging, such as adult-onset diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases—even cancer.

Unfortunately, however, it remains a mystery whether wine drinkers benefit from resveratrol. Though studies have shown that moderate wine drinkers tend to live longer than nondrinkers, it remains unknown if resveratrol is the cause. In human terms, the amount of resveratrol used to produce the amazing benefits in mice would require a human to drink hundreds—or even thousands-—of glasses of wine per day.

Also, levels of resveratrol vary greatly among different red wines. Cornell University researcher Leroy Creasy has examined the concentration of resveratrol in more than 100 American wines. He found that New York wines, for example, averaged 7.5 micromoles per liter of resveratrol, while California red wines tend to have about 5 micromoles per liter.

Creasy declared that any wine with a concentration of resveratrol above 10 micromoles per liter was "extraordinary." Willamette Valley Vineyards in Oregon puts resveratrol levels on the back labels of its Pinot Noirs, which have more than 20 micromoles per liter. But that's still a tiny amount compared with the doses given to mice in last year's headline-grabbing study. They received 23 milligrams of resveratrol per kilogram of body weight (1 milligram equals 4.38 micromoles per liter).

"Should you give resveratrol to your mice that are on a high-calorie diet if you want them to live longer? Yes. Will long-term ingestion of these levels of resveratrol be safe in humans? We do not know," said Curtis Ellison M.D., of the institute on Lifestyle and Health at Boston University School of Medicine. "Will such doses, if safe, lead to longer lifespans of humans on a high-calorie diet? Perhaps. Are we at the institute starting to take resveratrol pills? Not yet."

One day, resveratrol may prove a great boon to human health. Thanks to the publicity, resveratrol supplements are flying off the shelves in health-food stores, though doctors caution there may be risks with the doses and purity levels of the pills. But for now, the most pleasurable way to get your daily dose of resveratrol is in a glass or two of red wine.
 
Back to business--

OK.

Truth: If I'm not careful, I'm going to stat gaining weight.

I am already up 1.3 lbs from last Friday, and my body has been hungry the past 2 days. I'm entering the luteal phase of my cycle--today is Day 19 of my cycle--which usually my appetite doesn't increase until about Day 20. Ha ha, whatever! Anyway, yesterday I consumed 2500 calories:eek: Fault of the wine.

Here's some wine nutrition:

Wine (4 fl oz unless noted)
Beaujolais (95 cal) 2
Bordeaux, red (95 cal) 2
Burgundy, red (95 cal) 2
Burgundy, white (90 cal) 2
Cabernet Sauvignon (90 cal) 2
Chablis (85 cal) 2
Champagne, dry (105 cal) 2.5
Champagne, pink (100 cal) 2
Champagne (1 bottle) (531 cal) 11
Chardonnay (90 cal) 2
Chianti (100 cal) 2
Liebfraumilch (85 cal) 2
Madeira (160 cal) 3.5
Marsala (80 cal) 2
Merlot (95 cal) 2
Mosell (100 cal) 2
Muscatel (160 cal) 3.5
Port, ruby (185 cal) 4
Port, white (170 cal) 3.5
Reisling (90 cal) 2
Rhone (95 cal) 2
Rose (95 cal) 2
Sangria (115 cal) 2.5
Sauterne (115 cal) 2.5
Sauvignon Blanc (80 cal) 2
Soke (1/2 cup) (99 cal) 2
Tokay (165 cal) 3.5
Zinfandel, red (90 cal) 2
Zinfandel, white (80 cal) 2
Red or White Wine (1 bottle/750 ml) (506.8 cal) 10.5

4 oz is a smallish glass. Consider this:

750 ml is a standard bottle. It is 25.4 oz. A 375 ml bottle is 12.7 oz Sooooooo

If you drink half a bottle of wine, you are drinking about 300 calories.

Yesteday I ate fine, but I drank half a bottle of Ortman Family Vineyards (San Luis Obisbo based but they buy grapes, too) Chardonnay and I had a glass of that Tolosa Pinot Noir afterwards, along with 2 1/2 oz of dubliner cheese. That was 700 calories right there! Didn't even seem like it! So no more of that!

Problem with wine is that, unless you got 3-4 people wanting the same bottle, you may over-consume because then the air might alter the taste in the next few days. And there's a chance I won't wna the same wine the very next day. I like half bottles for that reason--still that's 300 calories. Good for the heart, but not good for a dieter.

2500 calories 20 lbs ago would have been breaking even for my activity and size. Now, at 138, I over-consumed and thus, need to make up for it. But today I've already had 1600 calories (thanks to my co-worker making pizza) and I want dinner tonight!!!

Plans: go to Kickboe class, work off 600 calories, and try to have a 350 calorie dinner. WAH! That's nothing :( I know, I'll blacken 4 oz of salmon and steam collard greeens--that's satisfying and healthy--and low in carbs, too. OK wish me luck!
 
haha, yeah I know that you're hella far. I was just speaking in terms of me actually being in the same state. But I will take up your advice. She'll love me forever and I'll look like I know what I'm doing. Thanks CG.
 
You're welcome!!! I hope you find something good! Don't be afraid to ask the people who work there--they usually know what to recommend
 
Hey I can't agree more. I think I've been drunk once in a year and a half (Good Canadian Beer Mmm), but I couldn't do without an occassional beer or other drink.
 
Thank you for posting all that stuff on alcohol and how it's good for you :) I work in heart disease research so see a lot of the research that recommends the med diet - red wine and olive oil all the way!!!!
 
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