A team of Dutch scientists recently published a study that revealed the positive effects of wine on the lungs. With moderate consumption, wine can improve lung function by increasing tidal volume and reducing the risk of lung obstruction as well as lung cancer .
Basically, these merits of wine are attributed to resveratrol - a natural compound, a polyphenolic antioxidant found mainly in red species. In addition to its known properties - anti-inflammatory , lowering blood sugar and strengthening the cardiovascular system , in recent years, resveratrol has been prescribed several new properties.
Among them is an improvement in testosterone levels , as evidenced in a January issue of the renowned journal Archives of Pharmacal Research , 2008. In itself, resveritrol as an antioxidant increases sperm production, and elevated testosterone levels further enhance this effect. This means enhancing not only potency but also fertility .
Obviously, resveratrol is a key beneficial ingredient in wine, but it is found mainly in red wines and much more limitedly in whites, which is puzzling to scientists, because the best results in increasing lung function are reported in white drinkers, not red wine.
This provoked the Dutch team to theorize that resveratrol may be just one of the many chemical compounds in wine that have a similar effect - it also contains flavonols, flavanols and flavanol polymers, anticyanins and tannins, benzoic and caffeic acids and more. The most suitable candidate for the mysterious action of white wine to the lungs probably belongs to kvertsitina , one of flavonols, which a few decades ago is defined only as "plant pigment" involved in the formation of the color and taste of wine.
However, quercetin is now known to be an effective bronchodilator that inhibits the release of histamine and other allergic and inflammatory molecules and dilates the airways.
These scientific facts prove once again: wine can be one of the healthiest drinks, but if consumed in moderation. For their research, the Dutch team allowed participants to use no more than 5-7 glasses of wine per week.