We’ve known that red wine confers health benefits for years, but here’s a new one: researchers at the Cleveland Clinic, led by Charis Eng, MD, Ph.D., Chair of the Genomic Medicine Institute, have found that red wine boosts the effects of a common drug used to treat breast cancer. The drug is rapamycin, and the compound in the wine is, of course, resveratrol. The latter compound seems to be the active ingredient in red wine that drives most of its health benefits.
Rapamycin has been used in clinical trials as a cancer treatment. Unfortunately, after a while, the cancer cells develop resistance to rapamycin,” Eng said in a press release. “Our findings show that resveratrol seems to mitigate rapamycin-induced drug resistance in breast cancers, at least in the laboratory. If these observations hold true in the clinic setting, then enjoying a glass of red wine or eating a bowl of boiled peanuts – which has a higher resveratrol content than red wine – before rapamycin treatment for cancer might be a prudent approach.” [From Fox News – Red Wine Boosts Drug for Breast Cancer, Study Says]
This is a rather specialized effect compared to the broader benefits attributed to red wine, but it’s still one more indication that wine can be good for you. So, drink up (in moderation, of course).
I wonder if the amount of resveratrol consumed in the study is the typical amount found in a single glass of red wine.
It’s interesting that so many studies point to the health benefits of this ingredient.