“Red wine: Exercise in a bottle?” touts the news release from a respected scientific organization. That certainly got my attention. Although the study it was reporting has intriguing results, that headline goes way too far. (The full study is below.)
The study by a group of French researchers found that several of the most serious consequences of weightlessness appear to be prevented by a daily dose of resveratrol, an ingredient in red wine long associated with health benefits. Wouldn’t it be nice if a simple pill — or a glass of wine — could stave off diabetes, muscle wasting and bone fragility?
“Resveratrol may not be a substitute for exercise, but it could slow deterioration until someone can get moving again,” says Gerald Weissmann, MD, editor-in-chief of the FASEB Journal, which published the study.
Although that is a possibility — the study is very encouraging — translating this animal study on countermeasures to weightlessness to everyday Earthbound use will take a lot of time and study. It is true that the problems developed by people who are bedridden or otherwise unable to move their lower extremities are similar to those seen in longer-term space travelers, there are some significant differences, too. In particular, astronauts tend to be otherwise extremely healthy. Bedridden adults tend to have significant medical reasons for being so constrained. How a supplement of resveratrol would work when combined with other medicines or other complications suggests major caution is necessary.
In my “day” job as a health care/science communications professional, I frequently see reports that sound too good to be true. This news release and at least one article about the study seriously go too far — and well beyond what the researchers themselves report in their scientific report. However, taken in the right perspective, the study by French researchers provides strong additional support for the potential health benefits of moderate red wine consumption.
So, go ahead and keep having a glass of red wine with your dinner, but don’t think that the wine can replace an otherwise healthy lifestyle. Sorry. You still need to go to the gym or take that walk in the park.
Resveratrol as protection against muscle wasting, other health ills
Former USA Today reporter Doug Levy lives in New York City and spends a lot of his free time searching for great food and wine. As a PR pro, he specializes in healthcare and life sciences. Doug enjoys sharing his culinary observations which you can also read on his personal blog at Food and Wine World.
