Collegiate Times

The French. They put cream sauce on everything and eat elaborate meals everyday, and yet their country is not full of overweight citizens. Scientists believe they may have found an explanation for this ? consumption of red wine, or more specifically, resveratrol.

Resveratrol is a chemical found in grape skins, peanuts and other plants. In fact, ancient Chinese medicine used plants containing this chemical to treat patients with heart and lung problems.

Recently, some scientists performed a study on the promising compound. In a lab, researchers took three sets of mice and gave them three different diets. One set was given a healthy diet, another a fatty diet with resveratrol and the last was given a fatty diet. It turned out that while the mice given a fatty diet did become obese, the mice given resveratrol did not experience any of the health problems that the mice given a plain fatty diet experienced. In fact, the resveratrol mice actually lived as long as the mice given a healthy diet.

Scientists are excited about this discovery, and some people are even calling resveratrol a ?fountain of youth.?

Resveratrol contains a powerful antioxidant, which scientists suspect breaks down the oxidant LDL that contributes to heart disease. This is perhaps why the French can eat the heavy foods that they do and yet have healthier hearts than many Americans.

It has also been shown that resveratrol can reduce the risk of cancer, Alzheimer?s and even extend life spans.

But you can?t just pick up any ol? bottle of red wine. According to the Life Extension Foundation, a non-profit group that researches scientific advancements that can increase human?s lives, the wine that contains the most resveratrol is organic wine. This is because pesticides sprayed on grapes can reduce the amount of resveratrol. Also, wines from humid climates have more resveratrol. LEF recommends ?organic wines from certain regions of Europe.?

Some good wines to try are Domaine des Cedres Cotes du Rhone from France. I enjoy Cotes du Rhones because they have a rich cherry flavor and are fruity without being too sweet. For a lighter and less expensive bottle of organic red, try Domaine de Bajac?s Merlot. This wine is softer but still fruity, a better choice for red wine ?beginners.?

While red wine is healthy, it doesn?t mean you should start playing ?tap the bag? more often or start the day off with a glass. It also isn?t a free pass to eat an entire bag of cheese puffs in one sitting (something I am very, very guilty of doing. Several times). But it does mean that you no longer have to feel bad about having a glass with dinner. You can now toast to your health with confidence.