Researchers found out how wine compounds are protective against neuronal death
Frontiers
Let it be no misunderstanding: heavy alcohol intake has severe harmful effects.
But already for several years, researchers have been finding
that moderate wine intake can be beneficial in delaying the onset of cognitive
impairments in aging and neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and
Alzheimer's disease.
Dr. Esteban-Fernández from the Institute of Food Science
Research in Madrid and her colleagues have been investigating the molecular
mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective actions of wine, recently published
in Frontiers in Nutrition.
Instead of investigating wine directly, they studied the
compounds that are left after the wine has passed through the gut: the
so-called wine-derived human gut metabolites. They selected some of these
metabolites based on their presence in the urine and feces of people consuming
wine on a regular and moderate basis.
To explore the neuronal effect of these compounds, they added them to human cells under stress conditions that normally lead to neuronal cell dysfunction and death. These conditions are related to the initial stages of some neurodegenerative disorders.
They found that the metabolites are protecting the cells from
dying due to the stress conditions.
The most striking result, however, was that the metabolites are
active at different points in the cell signaling cascade that is leading to
this cell death.
The exact composition of the wine metabolites is therefore
important in the protective neuronal effect. And this composition depends on
your gut microbiota composition, as the intestinal flora breaks down the wine
into the different metabolites.
"In other words, differences in our gut microbiota are
leading to the different metabolites. Which underpins the idea that humans
benefit from food in different ways," Dr. Esteban-Fernández explains.
"This individual difference is a factor not to be neglected
to understand the health effects of certain foods. We are now in need to
advance our understanding of the effect of diet in the promotion of normal
brain function."
"It is very important to understand that certain food
compounds are responsible for this health benefit in protecting against the
onset of neurodegenerative diseases; no medication was involved. I am not
advocating to replace medicines by diet, but I want to raise more awareness how
your diet is helping to prevent diseases or reduces the risk of getting sick.
It is more than feasible to go to the supermarket and buy vegetables and fruit:
it depends only on the individuals to maintain a balanced diet."
As she works on the role of diet in health maintenance and
disease prevention, Dr. Esteban-Fernández takes her own nutrition very serious.
"I am really aware about the importance of a healthy diet
enriched in vegetables, fruits, and reduced industrial saturated fats. Although
I try to maintain my dietary habits as good as possible, I think it is also
important to not get too obsessed.
"Society is nowadays full of false myths about diet, and it is the role of both science and media to avoid the spread of these rumors, as well as make people aware of the importance of diet for your health."
"Society is nowadays full of false myths about diet, and it is the role of both science and media to avoid the spread of these rumors, as well as make people aware of the importance of diet for your health."
