Two good pieces of news about drinking red wine this week: apparently the resveratrol compound in the wine protects against memory loss as we get older, and another compound in the wine-ellagic acid-helps overweight people burn fat.
Resveratrol is an antioxidant that’s found in red wine, the skin of red grapes, peanuts and some berries, and it seems to have a positive effect on the hippocampus region of the brain, which is critical for memory, learning and mood.
Researchers from the Institute for Regenerative Medicine tested resveratrol on a group of laboratory rates; those not given the compound seemed to lose their memory functions after around 25 months, whereas they continued to improve in those given the compound.
The ellagic acid in red wine also slowed the growth of fat cells and stopped new ones from forming, a separate study has found.
Although the acid isn’t a weight-loss miracle compound, it does boost the burning of fat, especially in the liver, and this may also improve liver function in people who are overweight, say researchers from Oregon State University.
(Sources: red wine and memory: Scientific Reports, 2015; 5: 8075; red wine and fat burning: Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 2015; 26(1): 82)
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