"The current consensus is that it is not just the alcohol, but something else," said Bauer Sumpio, M.D., professor and section chief of vascular surgery in the Department of Surgery. "There are probably several mechanisms of protection from a cardiovascular viewpoint."

He said researchers have been trying to pinpoint why red wine has a cardiovascular protective effect ever since the discovery of the so-called "French Paradox" in 1992 when researchers found a 40 percent lower mortality rate from ischemic heart disease among people in France despite the high amount of saturated fats in their diet.

Sumpio said there are several studies showing drinking two to three ounces of alcohol each day has a beneficial effect, but any more than that and the alcohol begins to have a negative health effect. Studies comparing spirits, beer and wine show some benefit from spirits and beer, but an overwhelming benefit from drinking red wine.

His laboratory found polyphenols, minus the alcohol, are powerful anti-oxidants. Polyphenols also are found in fruit, particularly berries, as well as green tea and chocolate. Anti-oxidants slow cell deterioration. The polyphenols also help prevent the build up of plaque on the smooth muscle cells, as well as inhibit platelet formation, which can lead to blood clotting.

"A better understanding of the health benefits of red wine and perhaps the specific polyphenolic extracts with the described properties would be a great contribution to society," Sumpio said.

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The findings in these mouse models are consistent with a recent report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), an agency in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). AHRQ evaluated the data between omega-3 fatty acid consumption and Alzheimer's and found that, "Total omega-3 fatty acid consumption and consumption of DHA (but not ALA or EPA) were associated with a significant reduction in the incidence of Alzheimer's." ALA or alpha-linolenic acid is commonly found in flax seed, dark green leafy vegetables, and certain vegetable oils. EPA or eicosapentaenoic acid is commonly found in fatty fish and fish oil.

DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid found throughout the body. It is a major structural fatty acid in the gray matter of the brain and a key component of the heart. Natural food sources of DHA are limited primarily to fatty fish and organ meat causing Americans to have among the lowest dietary intake of DHA in the world. Developed by a process that extracts DHA from algae under tightly controlled manufacturing conditions, Martek DHA is an all-natural, vegetarian source of DHA free of chemical pollutants and toxins that may be present in certain fish oils. Martek DHA is available to consumers through fortified foods and Neuromins DHA.

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