喝紅酒對身體有益！對嗎？

喝紅酒對身體有益！對嗎？

Call it the French Paradox. For years, scientists have searched for an explanation of how the French diet -- a veritable high-fat smorgasbord of cheeses and sauces -- plays a role in -- France's remarkably low incidence of heart disease. The answer to the puzzle, many believed, was in the nation's penchant for drinking red wine.

這是一個著名的法國悖論：為何法國人的飲食習慣總是包含高脂奶酪與各種醬料的雜燴，他們患心臟病的概率還那么低?科學家們一直想為此找出合理的解釋。很多人認為，關(guān)鍵之處在于法國人都喜歡喝紅葡萄酒。

Several studies seemed to back up the idea. They found that those who drank red wine, ate dark chocolate and noshed on colorful berries had less of the inflammation that was part-and-parcel of heart disease. For example, study results published in Nature in 2006 reported that mice fed a diet rich in grape skins, berries and chocolate lived twice as long as those that didn't eat the compounds. The credit for these health benefits went to resveratrol, a common ingredient in all three items under study: wine, dark chocolate and berries.

好幾項研究的結(jié)果似乎都支持此觀點。他們發(fā)現(xiàn)那些常喝紅葡萄酒、吃黑巧克力和五顏六色的漿果的人，患與心臟病相關(guān)炎癥的機率更小。例如，2006發(fā)表在《自然》雜志上的研究報告說，吃富含葡萄皮、漿果和巧克力的食物的老鼠比不吃這些食物的老鼠壽命長一倍。而這些健康益處歸功于白藜蘆醇——研究項目中的三種食物即葡萄、黑巧、漿果都含有該物質(zhì)。

Now, scientists aren't so sure a glass of red wine is as good for you as they once thought, and resveratrol may not deserve the glory after all. At least that's the finding of a nine-year study that followed 783 elderly people living in two small towns in Tuscany, Italy, an area well known for its red wine production As reported in JAMA Internal Medicine, the study tracked participants daily through detailed dietary information, and urine samples were used to measure their resveratrol levels. More than 250 of the participants died, as was expected because of their age. An additional 174 got heart disease and 34 developed cancer, but resveratrol levels did not play a role in any of the participants' outcomes. They were no higher or lower in those who lived versus those who died.

然而，現(xiàn)在科學家們卻不能像之前那樣對此打包票了。白藜蘆醇似乎并沒有想象中那么強大。至少下面的這個例子不能指出它有多大的功效。研究人員將地點選在了意大利托斯卡納行政區(qū)下的兩個小鎮(zhèn)，因據(jù)美國醫(yī)學協(xié)會雜志報導，此地以紅酒產(chǎn)量而聞名。他們對783位老年人進行了長達9年的隨訪。研究者每天記錄下他們詳細的飲食信息，并測量他們尿液中的白藜蘆醇含量。9年后，因歲數(shù)到了而過世的超過250人，正如他們所預期的那樣;另有174人得了心臟病;還有34人身患癌癥——白藜蘆醇含高低量并沒有對結(jié)果造成何種影響。在已逝之人與健在的人中，其含量也并無差異。

If resveratrol doesn't positively impact longevity, cancer rates or heart disease, does it do us any good at all? It's an important question, especially considering sales of resveratrol supplements have reached more than $30 million in the U.S. each year .

如果白藜蘆醇對長壽沒什么積極的促進作用，也不能降低癌癥與心臟病的患病概率，那它是否有其他的好處呢?考慮到美國每年白藜蘆醇補劑的銷售額已經(jīng)超過3000萬美元，這個問題也不容小覷。

Drinking moderate amounts of red wine may still be good for you, just not in the way you might think. There are more than 35 other polyphenols in addition to resveratrol that require further investigation into their health benefits [source: Bland]. And drinking a bit of alcohol can help prevent bone loss in older women. A 2012 study published in the journal Menopausefound that women in their 50s and early 60s who drank one-and-one-half drinks each day can encourage the growth of new bone .

飲用適量紅酒或許是對于你身體有益，但可能并不如我們想象中那般了。除了白藜蘆醇外，紅酒中還有超過35種多酚之于身體的好處需要我們深入研究。此外，喝點紅酒有利于防止中老年婦女骨質(zhì)流失。于2012年發(fā)表在《探索更年期》雜志上的研究說，50~60歲的女性每天喝1.5小杯酒能刺激骨的新生。

Our bodies are in the business of bone turnover, constantly dissolving bits of bone and then reforming them. As menopause begins, the dissolution of bone increases and the formation of new bone can't keep up, which leads to bone loss. For reasons scientists are still seeking to explain, a daily glass (or glass and a half) of wine slows down this turnover rate and can protect against bone breakage. Unfortunately, doubling the amount of wine doesn't increase the effect .

我們的身體實現(xiàn)了骨轉(zhuǎn)換：不斷地溶解骨頭，然后進行改造。隨著絕經(jīng)期的開始，骨的溶解增加，新骨的形成無法跟上，就會導致骨丟失。雖然科學界還不能對每日飲酒1~1.5杯為女性所帶來的好處做出合理解釋，但能肯定地告訴你，超過此量益處也不會再多一點。